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Chandrababu Naidu gets relief in cash-for-vote case

“Mr Chandrababu Naidus issue.ACB court has been informed by Telangana ACB that they are already investigating the case and (the Bureau will) certainly follow whatever procedure needs to be followed”, Kavitha told reporters here.

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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.

In May previous year, Telangana nominated MLA Elvis Stephenson had lodged a complaint with ACB alleging that he was offered Rs 5 crore by TDP MLA A Revanth Reddy to vote in favour of a Telugu Desam MLC nominee in Telangana Legislative Council polls held on 1 June. Ramakrishna Reddy, in his petition, alleged that Chandrababu was also a conspirator in the case and “committed” the offence of offering bribe to a nominated MLA of Telangana.

In May 2015, nominated MLA in Telangana Assembly Elvis Stephenson had lodged a complaint alleging that he was offered Rs 5 crore by Revanth Reddy to vote for TDP nominee in the election to the Telangana Legislative Council on June 1.

ACB sources said issuing a fresh FIR would attract double jeopardy (procedural defence that forbids a defendant from being tried again on the same (or similar) charges in the same case).

The ACB, which laid a trap on a complaint by Stephenson, also arrested two aides of Revanth Reddy. TDP MLA Sandra Venkata Veeraiah was arrested in the case later. He claimed that he got the voice samples of Naidu in the telephonic conversation he had with Stephenson and one from his speech delivered at the World Economic Forum meeting at Davos, verified through an independent scientific agency, which concluded that both samples belonged to the AP chief minister.

The TDP leaders and Naidu are curious about the court response on the petition.

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Naidu has himself accepted that he has done wrong by approaching the HC for a stay.

Andhra HC stays order against Naidu in cash-for-vote case