CHEVIREDDI BHASKAR REDDY Vs. STATE OF ANDHRA PRADESH

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Crl.P.No.12048/2025 is filed by the Accused No.3 in Crime No.21 of 2024 on the file of CID Police Station, Mangalagiri, seeking anticipatory bail. I.A.No.1 of 2025 has been filed under Sec. 528 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023[for short 'BNSS'], by the Implead Petitioner/ Proposed Respondent/ Accused No.38, seeking to implead him in Criminal Petition No.12048 of 2025 as Respondent No.3. I.A.S.R.No.96274 of 2025 has been filed under Sec. 528 of BNSS, by the Implead Petitioner/Intervener seeking to implead him in Criminal Petition No. 12048 of 2025 as Respondent No.4.

(2.) Heard Sri Siddhartha Dave, learned Senior Counsel assisted by Sri T.M.K.Chaitanya and Ms.Tanisha Kaushal, learned counsel for the Implead Petitioner/Accused No.38 and Sri P. Veera Reddy, learned Senior counsel assisted by Sri P. Sashidhar Reddy, learned counsel for the Implead Petitioner/ Intervener; Sri K. Parameshwar, learned Senior Counsel assisted by Sri Jithendra Palyam, learned counsel for Respondent/Accused No.3 and Sri Posani Venkateswarlu, learned Senior Counsel assisted by Sri M. Lakshmi Narayana, learned Public Prosecutor for State.

(3.) Sri Siddhartha Dave, learned Senior Counsel for the implead petitioner (Accused No.38 in Crime No.21 of 2024 on the file of CID Police Station, Mangalagiri), submitted that the Accused No.3 has not been arrested to date and has been granted undue concession to secure his ill-gotten properties. He contends that Accused Nos.,2 and 3, both public servants, are the principal accused in the alleged offences and were actively involved in handling proceeds of crime amounting to hundreds of crores of rupees, which is within the knowledge of the Special Investigation Team. It is argued that despite their central role in these serious economic offences, Accused Nos.2 and 3 have neither been arrested nor subjected to custodial interrogation, reflecting a biased investigation and selective prosecution.