The Andhra Pradesh High Court recently closed a Suo Motu PIL registered in 2020 as per the authorisation of the then Chief Justice, on the basis of newspaper reports and video clippings sent by one Vangalapudi Anitha, which show inhuman and barbaric assault on a doctor namely Dr Sudhakar by the police authority.
On May 18, 2020, the High Court appointed P. Veera Reddy, Senior Counsel, as Amicus Curiae to assist this Court. Thereafter on May 20, 2020, the Court issued further direction to supply all available materials to the Amicus Curiae.
By a detailed order of May 22, 2020, the High Court directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to register an FIR and conduct investigation in the matter.
On February 16, in the course of hearing, the Court was informed that CBI has completed investigation against (1) P. Suryanarayana, SI, (2) G. Lakshmana Rao, Home Guard (Traffic), (3) V. Madhu Babu, PC (Traffic) and (4) E.V.V. Prasad, PC (AR), and filed a charge sheet before the jurisdictional CBI Court, after obtaining sanction from the appointing authority for prosecution of the aforesaid persons.
Amicus Curiae Reddy submitted that since the investigation has already been completed, nothing remains for adjudication in this matter and therefore, the proceedings in this petition may be closed.
Having heard the Counsel for the parties, the Division Bench of Chief Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra and Justice Subba Reddy Sati on February 16 observed that the proceedings in this petition need not be continued further. However, the Bench directed the jurisdictional CBI court to complete the trial at the earliest.
Before parting with this case, the High Court appreciated the assistance rendered by P. Veera Reddy, Senior Counsel, as Amicus Curiae.