Supreme Court Grants Anticipatory Bail To YSRCP Leaders In Cases Over Attack Of TDP Office & Naidu's Residence

The Supreme Court today(February 25) granted anticipatory bail to YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) Vijayawada East coordinator Devineni Avinash after the Andhra Pradesh High Court rejected his anticipatory bail for allegedly ransacking the NTR Bhavan, the central office of the ruling Telugu Desam Party, at Mangalagiri during the YSRCP regime in October 2021.Avinash has been on interim protection since September last year. The petitioner is accused under the offences 147, 148, 452, 427, 323, 506, 324 read with 149 and Sections 326, 307, 450, 380 read with 109 and 120B of the Indian Penal Code, 1860.A bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and K. Vinod Chandran also anticipatory bail to former minister and MLA Jogi Ramesh in connection with the allegedly vandalising Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu's Undavalli residence along with other YSRCP members in 2021. He was also on interim protection.Ramesh is accused under the offences 143, 324, 506, 188, 269 and 270 r/w 149 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860. On September 4, last year, Andhra Pradesh denied anticipatory bail to all YSRCP leaders including Ramesh.The Court directed that the petitioners should cooperate with the investigation. Any non-coopeartion with the investigation will result in the vacation of the order, the Court warned. The Court further directed the petitioners to surrender their passports and not to leave the country without informing the investigating officer.Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal (appearing for Avinash) informed the Court that three years after the alleged attack involving 88 people, fresh investigations began because the ruling Government changed. Sibal submitted that the members received minor injuries contrary to what is alleged by the complaint in the FIR. He added that the accused Avinash has not been identified in the CCTV footage recorded as evidence. Contrary to this, Senior Advocate Siddharth Luthra (for State of Andhra Pradesh) vehemently opposed the plea and added that after being granted interim protection by this Court, they have not been cooperating and not providing details of their phones. It was also argued that Avinash tried leaving the Country. However, Sibal stated that he travelled within the country and only because of lack of knowledge, he did not inform the Court about it. Brief arguments were also made by Senior Advocate Siddhartha Dave (for Jogi Ramesh).The anticipatory bail order also extends to accused Nandepu Jagadeesh, Manyam Jagadish, Gadela and others. Case Details: DEVINENI AVINASH Versus THE STATE OF ANDHRA PRADESH, SLP(Crl) No. 12659-12662/2024 & JOGI RAMESH Versus THE STATE OF ANDHRA PRADESH SLP(Crl) No. 12567/2024Click Here To Read/Download Order

Supreme Court Grants Anticipatory Bail To YSRCP Leaders In Cases Over Attack Of TDP Office & Naidu's Residence

Gursimran Kaur Bakshi

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