Supreme Court. File
| Photo Credit: The Hindu
The Supreme Court on Friday upheld an Andhra Pradesh High Court decision quashing proceedings against Jerusalem Mathaiah, who is the fourth accused in the infamous 2015 cash-for-vote case registered and investigated by the Telangana Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB).
The decision by a Bench of Chief Justice B.R. Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran may have a rippling effect on a petition filed by Telangana Chief Minister and former Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader, A. Revanth Reddy, who is also an accused in the case, to quash the FIR in the 2015 case. Mr. Reddy’s petition was listed before a coordinate Bench of the top court headed by Justice J.K. Maheshwari, but was adjourned to a date in October.
Chargesheet filed in 2015
Mr. Reddy was accused of paying ₹50 lakh bribe to Elvis Stephenson, a nominated MLA, for supporting TDP nominee Vem Narendar Reddy in the 2015 Legislative Council elections. Mr. Mathiah, a pastor and then a member of the TDP Christian Cell, was accused number four in the case. In July 2015, the ACB filed a chargesheet against Mr. Reddy and others under the Prevention of Corruption Act and Section 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code.
On Friday, Justice Chandran, who wrote the six-page judgment, said there was nothing to link Mr. Mathiah with the alleged crime. The judgment noted that the information about the attempt to bribe Mr. Stephenson was received on May 28, 2015, but the FIR was registered only two days later, on May 31.
“We cannot but notice that there is nothing to connect the fourth accused to the crime, but for a casual allegation raised on a call having been received by the complainant (ACB) without any indication even of the time when such a call was received. We find absolutely no reason to interfere with the order of the High Court,” the Supreme Court concluded.
Published – September 27, 2025 12:45 am IST
