Hyderabad: A Hyderabad court has permitted Telangana Chief Minister, A. Revanth Reddy, main accused in the cash-for-vote case, to travel abroad.
The Principal Special Judge for Trial of SPE & ACB Cases, ordered release of the Chief Minister’s passport for the official tour.
The court, through its order dated August 3, permitted the Chief Minister to travel to the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Germany, and China from August 17 to September 10.
The order is subject to conditions including the execution of a personal bond of Rs. 1 lakh with one surety, submission of travel itineraries and contact details during his planned travel, and an undertaking affidavit to re-deposit the passports on or before September 18, 2026, alongside receiving political clearance from the Ministry of External Affairs.
Revanth Reddy, who is accused number one in the cash-for-vote scam case of 2015, had filed the petitions for granting interim custody of the passport and also to permit him to travel to UK, US, Germany and China.
Revanth Reddy was a Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MLA when he was arrested by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on May 31, 2015.
He was accused of paying Rs. 50 lakh bribe to Elvis Stephenson, a nominated MLA, for supporting TDP nominee Vem Narendar Reddy in the 2015 Legislative Council elections.
After spending nearly a month in jail, he along with other accused Bishop Harry Sebastian and R. Uday Simha was granted bail by the High Court.
The High Court had directed Revanth Reddy to surrender his passport and cooperate with the investigating agency. It also had directed him to file an application before the ACB court whenever he had to travel abroad.
In July 2015, the ACB filed a chargesheet against Revanth Reddy and others under the Prevention of Corruption Act and Section 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code.
Revanth Reddy’s petition to quash the criminal case is pending in the Supreme Court.
(IANS)
