New Delhi, May 21: The Supreme Court on Friday granted bail to a rebel YSR Congress Party MP K Raghu Ramakrishna Raju in a sedition case lodged against him in Andhra Pradesh.
Raju was arrested by the Andhra Pradesh Police on May 14 for alleged hate speeches against certain communities. The rebel MP then moved the top court seeking bail and terming the case against him a result of “political vendetta”. He had also claimed that he was “beaten mercilessly” by the state CID in custody.
A vacation bench of Justices Vineet Saran and B R Gavai, while referring to Raju’s medical report received from the Army hospital at Secunderabad, said it cannot be ruled out that the MP was “ill-treated” in custody.
The apex court further imposed several bail conditions on Raju, including that he would not give any interview to the media with regard to the case.
On May 17, the top court had ordered forthwith transfer of Raju to the Army hospital at Secunderabad in neighbouring Telangana for medical examination and hospitalisation till further orders.
The rebel YSRCP MP from Narasapuramhad, known to be critical of his party president and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, challenged the May 15 order of the Andhra Pradesh High Court, asking him to approach the sessions court for bail.
Following his arrest, the statement from the CID said: “MP from Narasapur Raghu Rama Krishna Raju has been arrested at his residence at Hyderabad. There was information against Raju, stating that he has been indulging in hate speeches against certain communities and promoting disaffection against the government.”
A case was registered against the rebel MP under Sections 124A (sedition), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups), 505 (statements conducing public mischief) read with 120B (conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code.
