Justice K. Lakshman of the Telangana High Court on Thursday stayed proceedings in a criminal case pending against Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy before the Nampally Magistrate Court, in connection with a complaint alleging dissemination of a morphed video of union Home Minister Amit Shah. The stay will remain in effect until June 23.
The complaint, filed by Kasam Venkateswarlu, State BJP General Secretary from Nalgonda, accused the Chief Minister of spreading misinformation through a viral video clip in which statements were allegedly attributed to Amit Shah claiming that reservations
for SCs and STs would be abolished if the BJP returned to power for a third term. The Court questioned the complainant’s conduct in delaying the proceedings before the High Court itself, observing that no counter-affidavit had been filed despite the matter last being heard on April 25.
Justice Lakshman took note of the lack of diligence in pursuing the case at the appellate level. The Court directed the complainant to file a counter by the next hearing date, and made it clear that the interim stay would remain operative until then. The matter was adjourned for further hearing on June 23.