TDP MLA Chintamaneni Prabhakar challenges imprisonment order for assaulting former minister Vatti Vasanth Kumar

HYDERABAD: Denduluru TDP MLA Chintamaneni Prabhakar moved the Hyderabad High Court challenging the imprisonment awarded to him by the lower court in the case of assaulting former minister Vatti Vasanth Kumar. On Feb 14 this year, Bhimadole first class judicial magistrate court sentenced Denduluru MLA and government whip Prabhakar to two years imprisonment on charges of assaulting former minister Vatti Vasantha Kumar on Nov 26, 2011.

He was granted bail on two personal bonds of Rs 10,000 each.  Challenging the conviction order, he filed a petition befoEluru First Additional sessions judge and the latter refused to stay the order. He now approached the High Court for relief. When the petition came up for hearing on Thursday, Justice Shameem Akther posted the matter to Friday for  hearing.

Prabhakar, in his petition, submitted that he would not continue in the MLA post if the lower court order was not stayed. As per the Representation of People Act, the one who was sentenced not less than two years imprisonment would stands disqualified from the post and would become ineligible to contest elections for six years. The lower court has given judgment based on the statements of two witnesses. In fact, the lower court had awarded the sentence under Section 506 part 2 of IPC which would not be application to his case, he added.