Andhra Pradesh govt likely to challenge HC order in Amaravati land purchase case in SC, says AP govt advisor

The Andhra Pradesh government is likely to challenge the Andhra Pradesh High Court’s gag order on the investigation into a land deal in the state legislative capital Amaravati issued on Tuesday in the Supreme Court.

A Bench of Chief Justice J K Maheshwari issued an order on Tuesday night not to report an FIR filed by the AP Anti-Corruption Bureau against a former legal officer and others over land purchase in Amaravati.

The High Court order, issued late evening on Tuesday, also accepted a plea by a former advocate general, against whom the first information report was registered, to gag the media from reporting on the details of the case or its context.

“ ...by way of interim relief, it is directed that no coercive steps shall be taken in furtherance to FIR.., which has been registered after filing of this writ petition against any of the accused. The enquiry, investigation is also stayed. It is further directed that the news in regard to registration of FIR or in the context of the said FIR shall not be made public in any electronic, print or social media, to foist the office of a former Advocate General and also with respect to the other alleged accused persons,” the AP HC had said.

Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy, a Cabinet-rank leader who is designated as Advisor to the Andhra Pradesh Government (Public Affairs), said the Andhra Pradesh High Court’s gag order was “unprecedented” and the state will challenge it in the Supreme Court shortly, The Indian Express reported.

“Our party and government feel that Tuesday night’s order by the court, is unprecedented. We have never seen or heard of this kind of order before. Normally, we see governments trying to muzzle the media or bringing in laws to put curbs on the media. When that happens, we have seen that courts have come forward to safeguard the rights of the media. After the High Court’s order Tuesday night, we are left wondering how the situation has changed so drastically,’’ Ramakrishna Reddy told The Indian Express.

He said the FIR was filed by an agency which is the Anti-Corruption Bureau and it did not contain anything that violated the privacy of the persons named in it.