The Anti-Corruption Bureau court in Vijayawada on Saturday granted interim bail to YSR Congress party MP from Rajampet parliamentary constituency P V Mithun Reddy to enable him exercise his vote in the Vice-Presidential elections scheduled to be held on September 9.
The ACB court judge, who reserved his judgement on Wednesday after hearing the arguments on Mithun Reddy’s bail petition, delivered his verdict granting interim bail to him for six days.
The judge asked the MP to surrender before the court again on September 11.
During the arguments, Mithun Reddy’s counsel brought to the notice of the court that, as the floor leader of the YSRCP in Parliament, he must participate in the Vice-Presidential election scheduled for September 9.
Seeking interim bail, the counsel emphasised that the request was solely to enable Mithun Reddy to cast his vote and lead his party MPs during the election process.
“Mithun Reddy carries the responsibility of guiding his party members in the Vice-Presidential election. He is prepared to surrender to the court immediately after the voting concludes,” the counsel submitted.
Countering the plea, the SIT’s counsel maintained that granting interim bail could affect the integrity of the ongoing investigation.
They referenced the Amritpal Singh case, noting that the Election Commission had permitted postal ballots in similar circumstances, and Singh had availed that option during the Vice-Presidential election.
The MP’s advocate, however, contended that postal ballots were not a viable alternative in this case, as they are not a standard procedure for such elections.
They pointed out that Mithun Reddy had voluntarily surrendered after the case was filed against him, underscoring his cooperation with the investigation.
Further, the counsel accused the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of attempting to mislead the court to prevent Reddy’s participation in the election. They argued that the Amritpal Singh judgment cited by the SIT was irrelevant to Reddy’s situation.
After hearing the arguments from both sides, the ACB court judge granted six days’ bail to Mithun Reddy to enable him cast his vote in the Vice-Presidential elections.
