The Hyderabad High Court on Monday directed the Andhra Pradesh government to recover the salary and perks awarded to former forest minister Satrucharla Vijayarama Raju during his term as an MLA.

Raju had contested and won an election from an ST reserved constituency by faking his caste.

The Times of India reported:

Justice P Naveen Rao ordered the AP assembly secretary to recover in full amount paid to Vijayarama Raju during his tenure as MLA of Nagur Constituency in Vizianagaram district between 1999 and 2004. The judge pronounced the order after hearing a petition filed by N Jayaraju, who urged the court to prosecute the ex-minister on the ground that he got elected by furnishing a fabricated proof that he belonged to Scheduled Tribe (ST) community even though he was a Kshatriya.

"Though Satrucharla Vijayarama Raju was claiming that he belongs to Konda Dora community that falls under the ST category, the claim was declared false, by both the high court and Supreme Court," TOI quotes the judge as saying.

The Deccan Chronicle reported that the petition filed by Jayaraju, who was Raju's opponent from the Telugu Desam, also pointed out that Raju had moved from Nagaur to neighbouring Parvathipuram (general) constituency in Vizianagaram district in 2004.