Andhra Pradesh government is learnt to have told the Supreme Court on Tuesday that it would not take any “coercive action” against the two daughters of chief justice of India Justice N V Ramana and also former state advocate general Dammalapati Srinivas in connection with the alleged insider trading in the state capital region of Amaravati.
This assurance is subject to the Supreme Court allowing the Anti-Corruption Bureau investigations into the allotted land scam in Amaravati.
The government has also told the apex court that it was okay if the investigation is supervised by a retired judge of Supreme Court or the high court.
“I am submitting on behalf of the state government that no coercive action will be taken. We are also willing to have the investigation supervised by a retired judge,” senior counsel Rajeev Dhavan, representing the YS Jaganmohan Reddy government, told the bench of justices Vineet Saran and Dinesh Maheshwari.
The Supreme Court is hearing a special leave petition filed by the Jagan government challenging the state high court’s order of September 2020 staying the investigation into the alleged Amaravati land scam.
Rajeev Dhavan requested the Supreme Court that the case be referred back to the high court where it could be heard fully.
“Let the case go back to the high court and let the investigations continue,” said Dhavan.
However, senior advocate Harish Salve who was appearing for Dammalapati Srinivas, opposed the proposal by the state government, saying the Supreme Court should rather go into all the issues and decide finally.
“This is nothing but ‘regime revenge’. Besides, the case has been pending before this court for almost a year. It can go up and down but I would prefer a decision on all issues by this court,” he said.
The bench fixed the matter on July 22 to decide if the state government’s prayer for revival of the investigation subject to certain conditions can be entertained.
The FIR registered by state’s Anti-Corruption Bureau named 13 persons, including two daughters of Ramana, then a Supreme Court judge, and Dammalapati Srinivas, on the ground that they purchased land in Amaravati area.
In October 2020, Jagan had written to then CJI SA Bobde, complaining that justice NV Ramana (present CJI) was trying to influence cases in the high court to destabilise his government and stall investigations.
In March this year, the inquiry exonerated justice Ramana and dismissed Jagan’s complaint, clearing the decks for his appointment as the CJI.