Andhra Pradesh High Court Defers Issuance Of Notice In Suo Moto Revision Over Withdrawal Of Cases Against Chief Minister

The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Friday deferred issuing notice in the suo moto criminal revision petitions registered over the withdrawal of criminal cases against Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.

A single bench of Justice Lalitha Kanneganti said that it wanted to first examine the administrative committee's report, on the basis of which the suo moto cases were registered by the registry, before issuing notice to the respondents.

On the first hearing date, the Advocate General of Andhra Pradesh had taken objection to the proceedings saying that the High Court cannot initiate suo moto revision on its administrative side.

Mr.Subahmanyam Sriram, the Advocate General, had argued that the powers of suo moto revision under Sections 397, 401 read with 482 and 483 of the Code of Criminal Procedure were judicial in nature, and hence the suo moto cases can be initiated only by the bench and not by the administrative committee.

"It is unprecedented that the High Court in its administrative committee has decided to take suo moto cognizance. This is not a case where the High Court on its administrative side has placed the files before the bench and the bench has decided to take suo moto cognizance", he had argued on June 23.

The AG also raised the grievance that the administrative committee's report was not given to the state. He highlighted that the contents of the report were leaked to the channels, which held a virtual 'media trial' on the day before the cases were to be considered by the bench.

The registry of the Court registered eleven suo moto criminal revision cases against the eleven orders passed by different Magistrates allowing the withdrawal of the criminal complaints against the Chief Minister.