In a major twist, the Supreme Court has cancelled an FIR registered against Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader Raghurama Krishna Raju, which had been registered in controversial circumstances during the regime of the YSRCP government. The FIR accused Raghurama’s men of beating up an Andhra Pradesh Police Intelligence Constable, Farooq Basha, outside his house in the Gachibowli area of Hyderabad.
The case that culminated into the FIR unfolded when one suspicious person was seen around Raghurama’s residence in Gachibowli. Raghurama’s team apprehended the person for interrogation after being concerned by the individual’s presence. The person claimed to be an agent of the Andhra Pradesh Police, but upon being questioned to produce any identification, he failed to do so. He was handed over to the police, and investigations proved that he was actually an Intelligence Constable, Farooq Basha.
Farooq Basha, subsequent to the incident, lodged a complaint against Raghurama and four others for physically assaulting him during the altercation. Consequently, the Gachibowli Police filed a case against Raghurama Krishna Raju and his son. But Raghurama, claiming that the case was fabricated against him politically, went to the High Court seeking justice. Regrettably, the High Court did not decide in his favor, and Raghurama proceeded to the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court, after going through the facts of the case thoroughly, dismissed the FIR, stating that no substantial evidence existed to prove the allegations made by Basha. Raghurama explained that the encounter was due to a bonafide concern for the suspicious man, and he had questioned him only out of precaution. Additionally, Basha himself had not been interested in filing the case, lending further credence to the unfoundedness of the charges.
The case fits a larger narrative of legal cases filed by the Andhra Pradesh Police against opposition leaders, but especially when the YSRCP was in power. Following the guidance of Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, numerous opposition leaders such as Raghurama were reportedly attacked with false cases. The support of the YSRCP by the leadership of BRS only made these political maneuvers stronger, with the government imposing a tough stance against its detractors.
As the Supreme Court went in favor of Raghurama, most people feel that such politically motivated cases are now being unraveled. As justice has won, several such cases of opposition leaders are now being questioned and cleared.
