Minister Srinivas Goud affidavit tampering case: Supreme Court suspends Judge Jayakumar

HYDERABAD: The Supreme Court on Wednesday suspended Telangana People’s Representatives Court Judge Jayakumar at Nampally, who recently directed to police to file cases against Telangana Excise and Sports Minister Srinivas Goud and 10 other senior officers for their alleged for their alleged role in changing the affidavit of the Minister.

The Minister at the time of filing nominations during the 2018 elections submitted an affidavit. However, after uploading the affidavit, it was alleged that he changed the affidavit already being submitted to the election commission in connivance with the electoral officials which could be construed as tampering with the affidavit submitted to the Election Commission.

One Chaluvagali Raghavendra Raju of Mahbubnagar district filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition with the Telangana People’s Representatives Court. Justice Jayakumar after hearing both sides delivered a judgment asking the police to file an FIR against the Minister. The petitioner approached the court when the police refused to comply with the directions.

Expressing anger over the inordinate delay in filing the case, the Judge sought complete details of the tampering of the affidavit issue from the police and directed them to immediately submit the FIR for the court’s scrutiny.

Fearing an impending contempt of court case against them, the Mahbubnagar Town-II police filed cases against the Minister, the then Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, then State Chief Election Officer Sashank Goyal, and then Mahbubnagar District Collector Ronald Rose and others, last Friday.

However, the Apex Court took serious note of the judgment that directed the police to book cases against the constitutional bodies and suspended the Judge.