Andhra Pradesh High Court stays SIT probe into Waltair Club land

VIJAYAWADA: Andhra Pradesh High Court on Wednesday issued interim orders staying the Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigation into the Waltair Club land issue in Visakhapatnam and also asked the SIT not to take any coercive action against the petitioner.

The SIT, constituted to look into land deals in Visakhapatnam, had earlier issued notices to Waltair Club president Phanindra Babu asking him to appear before it in the Waltair Club land issue. 

Though the petitioner provided all the documents to the SIT, he was asked to appear before it again on Wednesday.

Phanindra Babu filed a lunch motion petition in the High Court seeking a stay on the SIT probe into the issue. Appearing on behalf of the petitioner, senior counsel DV Sitarama Murthy argued that the SIT was constituted in 2019 with a specific time period of three months, and sought a stay on the investigation.

Additional Advocate General Ponnavolu Sudhakar Reddy sought two to three days time to inform the court if the SIT’s tenure has lapsed or not. 

Justice S Jayasurya said the court preliminarily came to the conclusion that the tenure of the SIT has elapsed and would give its orders on the prayer made by the petitioner. The Additional AG, however, sought time till Monday to place before the court all the details. 

Sudhakar Reddy informed the court that he was appearing before the court even though he was suffering from fever and wanted the court not to issue any interim orders.

Sudhakar Reddy said the land belongs to the the State government and the club took it on lease. If the tenure of the SIT had elapsed, why should the club representatives appear before it? he questioned.

Justice Jayasurya issued an interim stay on the SIT probe into the Waltair Club land issue and posted the matter for further hearing to Thursday.