Chandrababu Naidu gets relief in cash-for-vote case

Hyderabad: The Hyderabad high court on Friday ordered an interim stay on all proceedings ordered by the Telangana Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) court against Andhra Pradesh chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu in a cash-for-vote case.

The high court directed Telangana ACB to file a counter to a petition filed by Naidu, and adjourned further hearing in the case for eight weeks.

Naidu filed a petition on Thursday asking the high court to quash the proceedings ordered by principal special judge of the ACB court directing the bureau to re-investigate whether Naidu played any role in the cash-for-vote case.

The case relates to allegations that Revanth Reddy, a member of Naidu’s Telugu Desam Party and legislator in the Telangana assembly, tried to bribe a nominated Anglo-Indian legislator Elvis Stephenson of the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) to vote in favour of a TDP-backed candidate in the Telangana legislative council elections.

Revanth Reddy and a couple of others were arrested and later released on bail in the case.