The Hindu : Front Page : TD leader Rama Subba Reddy acquitted by High Court

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Tuesday, Nov 14, 2006
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TD leader Rama Subba Reddy acquitted by High Court

Legal Correspondent

Prosecution fails to prove charge of double murder: judge

Rama Subba Reddy

HYDERABAD: Former Minister and Telugu Desam Party leader of Kadapa district P. Rama Subba Reddy, who has been sentenced to life imprisonment on the charge of a double murder, has been acquitted by Justice Bilal Nazki of the High Court.

In his judgment on Monday, Justice Bilal Nazki declared that the prosecution could not prove the charge beyond reasonable doubt. All the seven others accused along with Mr. Rama Subba Reddy were also acquitted of the charge.

Rama Subba Reddy had named an accused along with his uncle and former Minister P. Siva Reddy and others in the murder of two Congress workers at the Shadnagar bus stand in Mahabubnagar district on December 5, 1990. Siva Reddy himself was murdered in a ghastly bomb attack at the Satyasai nigamagamam, an auditorium in Srinagar Colony in the State capital. The case was transferred from Mahabubnagar to Hyderabad when Congress workers alleged that the then Law Minister in the TDP Government belonged to the district. Then APCC president M. Satyanarayana Rao made some comments about this transfer but was let off by the High Court after he apologised.

The TDP Government issued proceedings to delete Rama Subba Reddy's name from the list of the accused but was proceeded against on the intervention of the court.

Rama Subba Reddy was convicted in December 2004 by the Metropolitan Sessions Judge, Hyderabad, who sentenced the TDP leader and his associates for life.

They, however, challenged their conviction before a Division Bench of the High Court.

While interpreting the effect of interpolations in the FIR and the inquest report, the two judges delivered separate judgments differing with each other. One judge acquitted the Minister and his associates and other judge upheld the judgment of the Metropolitan Sessions Judge. This was referred to the third judge -- Justice Nazki.

Meanwhile, there was jubilation among supporters of Mr. Rama Subba Reddy in his Jammalamadugu constituency when they heard the judgment.

The TDP welcomed the verdict and said it showed how the Congress Government had framed him.

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