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The Andhra Pradesh high court on Monday initiated criminal contempt proceedings against state Congress chief M Satyanarayana Rao for his comments on the transfer of a murder case from Mahbubnagar district to Hyderabad for trial.
Justice C Y Somayajulu also initiated contempt proceedings against the editor and publisher of Eenadu daily for carrying the comments.
Narayana Reddy, a Congress activist and relative of one of those killed in the case, had filed a petition in the high court seeking transfer of the case to the Hyderabad metropolitan sessions court.
The accused in the case belonged to the Telugu Desam Party and included state Housing Minister P Ramsubba Reddy.
Narayana Reddy contended that there was no security for witnesses and the case could not be tried in a free and fair manner in Mahbubnagar.
He alleged that the minister was threatening the witnesses. Moreover, Law Minister P Chandrasekhar was the counsel for the housing minister.
After hearing all the parties, Justice Somayajulu found the apprehensions genuine and directed that the case be transferred to Hyderabad.
Rao had commented on this issue. The judge, in his order, observed that "the averment in the press statement issued by Satyanarayana Rao makes the readers feel that this court, at the instance of the minister and for his convenience, transferred the case to Hyderabad, which is insinuation against the court and per se appears to be a criminal contempt of court".
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