Stating that it would not give any preferential treatment to a politician, the Hyderabad High Court refused to suspend the conviction of former TDP MLA Chengala Venkata Rao, who was awarded a life sentence in a murder case. 

The court also rejected the Rao's plea to grant him bail.

In the last week of May, the Anakapalli sessions court sentenced former MLA Chengala Venkat Rao to imprisonment for life, in a murder case that had taken place almost a decade ago.

The case dealt with the death of one person at Bangarampalem village in Nakkapalli mandal in 2007.

Rao's counsel had reportedly argued that the former MLA was a public figure and had to attend to people's problems, while also adding that he was in no way, related to the death of the person.

“This is the norm being followed and cannot be violated just because he is a politician," the bench was quoted as saying.

The bench also said that there was no rare or exceptional circumstance in this case to grant bail to the politician.

The incident had occurred when Rao was an MLA, and went to visit a group of people, who were protesting alleged sand mining in their area.

A heated argument followed, and people opposing the project, clashed with people supporting it, leading to the death of one person, and leaving several injured.

A local named Gosala Konda had died in the violence, even as others went on a rampage, and reportedly destroyed vehicles and property.

The police booked a case against 25 people, including Rao, for inciting the violence, out of which, 16 accused were handed out life sentences.

A follower of former Andhra CM N T Rama Rao, Rao was a long time TDP member, but resigned from the party, to join the YSR Congress on September 15, 2012.

Rao was also in the news in 2005, when he tried to kill himself by jumping into Hyderabad's Hussain Sagar, after he failed to produce a film on a Rs 20 crore budget, and went into deep losses.