Telangana CM urges Supreme Court to quash 2015 cash-for-vote FIR

In this picture released on September 16, 2026, Telangana CM A. Revanth Reddy attends the eighth session of the Telangana Legislative Assembly in Hyderabad, Telangana. | Photo Credit: X/@TelanganaCMO via PTI

Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Wednesday (September 16, 2026) sought quashing of the First Information Report (FIR) in the 2015 cash-for-vote case, arguing in the Supreme Court that the pre-amendment version of the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act did not criminalize offering a bribe at all.

Appearing before a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, senior advocate Siddharth Luthra orally argued that Section 12, which deals with aiding and abetting offenses under the Privacy Act, applies only to the briber.

It was only after extensive amendments to the Personal Data Protection Act in 2018 that offering a bribe to a civil servant was made an offence, and “soliciting” under Section 12 included “all offences”, i.e. both giving and receiving a bribe.

“This is purely a legal matter,” Mr. Luthra said.

Case from 2015

In the 2015 case, which predates the 2018 changes to the Privacy Act, Mr Reddy was charged with criminal conspiracy with common intent under the Indian Penal Code and solicitation under the Privacy Act.

The then 45-year-old deputy floor leader of the Telugu Desam Party was reportedly caught on camera in May 2015 offering ₹50 lakh as part of a ₹5 crore ‘payment’. It was allegedly a “branding gesture” to secure Anglo-Indian candidate Elvis Stephenson’s vote for the TDP candidate ahead of the June 2015 Telangana Legislative Council elections.

Mr. Luthra further said that the charge under Section 12 of the Privacy Act was not made out as voting for an MLA in an MLC election under Article 171 of the Constitution of India was not an “official act” under the Anti-Corruption Act.

“It is submitted that Section 12 of the PC Act is not drafted on the ground that MLA voting for the election of MLCs is an ex officio exercise of franchise and therefore not an ‘official act’ under Section 7 of the pre-amended PC Act… MLA is only one of the categories of electors/electorates for the purposes of MLAs which relate to MLC elections171… The voting criterion for electing one-third of MLCs qualifies them only as ‘voters’ under Article 171,” according to written submissions filed by advocate Lzafeer Ahmad on behalf of Mr Reddy.

Mr. Luthra said that the FIR is riddled with several irregularities and pointed out that there was no entry in the General Diary and the investigation was tainted.

“The entire case and alleged proceedings are politically motivated and plagued with malafide and therefore deserve to be quashed,” Mr Reddy’s counsel said.

Published – 16 Sep 2026 23:16 IST