The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Wednesday, May 19, initiated contempt proceedings against officials of the Crime Investigation Department (CID), including its Additional Director General P V Sunil Kumar, in YSRCP MP K Raghu Ramakrishna Raju's arrest case. The High Court also came down on Additional Advocate General P Sudhakar Reddy over his remarks and over why the court has special interest in a case. "The courts will react when there is violation of human rights," the High Court told the Additional AG.
The court gave four weeks to the CID Additional DG and also the Station House Officer of CID Police Station, Mangalagiri, against whom the contempt proceedings were initiated, to file their reply. The special bench, comprising justices C Praveen Kumar and K Lalitha, heard a petition filed by Raju and questioned the CID why it did not comply with the High Court or the designated CID court's orders and take the MP to a private hospital for medical examination.
The court came down on the CID and the government for lodging the rebel MP in the Guntur district jail in violation of the orders. "When we directed that the medical examination report (by a board constituted by the HC) be submitted by 12 noon (on May 16), why was it not done till 6 pm?" the bench asked. The Additional Advocate General replied that the court's order, on shifting the MP to a private hospital for medical examination, was received only at 11 pm on May 16. "Even then why did you not act? Why did you lodge him in jail?" the bench questioned. Taking it as contempt of the court, the bench issued notices to the CID ADG and SHO.
Raju, the Lok Sabha member from Narsapuram, was arrested on May 14 on various charges, including sedition. On the orders of the Supreme Court, he is now undergoing medical examination in the Army Hospital at Secunderabad.