In a significant relief for senior YSR Congress party leader and former MLA Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy, the Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the trial court to independently hear and decide on his bail plea in the AP liquor scam case, irrespective of the outcome of other accused persons’ bail petitions.
Chevireddy, who was arrested by the CID’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) earlier this year, had repeatedly sought bail citing health reasons.
However, both the Vijayawada ACB Court and the Andhra Pradesh high court had declined to grant him relief.
The high court had earlier ruled that Chevireddy’s bail petition should not be considered until a decision was made on the bail plea of YSRCP MP Mithun Reddy, who is also an accused in the same case.
This order effectively stalled Chevireddy’s application, leaving him in judicial custody for months.
Challenging the high court’s directions, Chevireddy approached the Supreme Court, arguing that his case should be considered independently, especially given his deteriorating health condition.
After hearing arguments, the Supreme Court ruled in his favour, instructing the trial court to proceed with his bail petition without linking it to Mithun Reddy’s case.
The apex court’s direction now clears the way for the Vijayawada ACB Court to re-examine his bail plea.
Sources close to the legal team said Chevireddy, who is suffering from severe back pain, may finally get conditional bail after multiple failed attempts.
The ACB Court is expected to resume hearing on his application soon.
