"My order will provide enough fodder to trollers again. I'm being trolled since a few days in what could be described as a sorry state of affairs," Justice Reddy remarked.
Published Jul 05, 2025 | 2:00 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 18, 2025 | 11:22 AM
Andhra Pradesh High Court. (Supplied)
Synopsis: In Andhra Pradesh, a growing rift between the judiciary and political executive is turning ugly. While some like Justice K Sreenivasa Reddy face trolling, others like Justice N Haranath Reddy face pressure over key rulings involving TDP and YSRCP leaders. Accusations of political bias, intimidation, and selective contempt action highlight the alarming politicisation of both, the bench and bar.
The unseen tiff between the political executive and judiciary in the state of Andhra Pradesh is getting uglier by the day.
In a state where both the bar and bench are, rather unfortunately, seen as divided between Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), the two dominant political forces, a recent episode in the open court provides a glimpse of the situation.
What brought the tussle into the open were the remarks made by one of the judges, Justice K Sreenivasa Reddy, while granting bail to some of the accused in the case relating to alleged adulteration of laddus supplied to devotees at the Tirumala temple.
“My order will provide enough fodder to trollers again. I’m being trolled since a few days in what could be described as a sorry state of affairs,” Justice Reddy remarked.
A few days before, Justice Reddy had allowed the petition filed by former chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy seeking to quash the case filed against him by the TDP government. The case pertains to the death of a person who was run over by a vehicle in Jagan’s convoy during his visit to Guntur district on 18 June.
The judge apparently went by commonsense and logic that suggests that occupant of a vehicle cannot be made an accused for the fault of the driver. Yet, Justice Reddy’s order led to heavy trolling by those seen as either supporters or sympathizers of the ruling Telugu Desam Party.
Interestingly or incidentally, Justice Reddy was the one who rejected the quash petition filed by the present Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu when he was arrested a few months before 2024 elections by the Jagan Mohan Reddy government.
Naidu sought that the case against him under Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA) be quashed as prior permission of the Governor was not obtained, before registering it.
Justice Reddy did not agree with the contention and the matter subsequently went to the Supreme Court. In the apex court, one judge – Justice Bela Trivedi, concurred with Justice Reddy by saying no such permission is needed. Justice Anirudh Bose, however, differed and opined that permission should be taken. The matter remained pending since then as the judges gave a split verdict.
What is not known, however, is that Justice Reddy was not one of those recommended by the State Government (when Jagan was in power) for judgeship, though he served as Public Prosecutor during Jagan’s tenure.
It is said that former Chief Justice NV Ramana, considered close to the Telugu Desam, was the one who pushed Reddy’s candidature for judgeship.
TDP loyalists are also said to be going after another judge, Justice N Haranath Reddy, considered close to the BJP. Currently an additional judge, the high court collegium has sent its recommendation to make him a permanent judge and its pending for confirmation with the Supreme Court collegium.
In the meantime, an anonymous complaint has been sent to the Supreme Court collegium against him, allegedly by TDP loyalists though its contents are not known.
Incidentally, Justice Haranath Reddy was the one who stayed all proceedings in the case filed by the present TDP government against three IPS officers. The officers, placed under suspension, have been accused of implicating actress Jethwani in a “false case”.
The officers contended that they cannot be named as accused without first establishing that it was a “false case.” Thus, the case against them does not meet the provisions stated under Section 195 of CRPC. Justice Haranath Reddy stayed further action in the matter by the investigating agencies.
“What is happening now surely amounts to intimidation of judges. Unfortunately, the same situation prevailed during the earlier regime too. Then too, judges were trolled whenever they stayed the actions of the government,” a sitting judge remarked.
There is, however, one crucial difference. Back then, multiple contempt cases were filed against trollers on the directions of the judges. Will they do the same now against TDP activists is the million-dollar question.
