HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court on Friday heard the plea of Guguloth Santosh Naik, a news reporter seeking to direct TS Home Principal Secretary, DGP, SP of Sanga Reddy and DSP of Patancheru to arrest Patancheru MLA G. Mahipal Reddy who is arraigned as an accused in a criminal case filed in the Ameenpur police station.

The High Court single bench headed by Justice P. Naveen Rao after hearing the petition opined that the plea is not maintainable as the case is still in the investigation stage.

The petitioner's counsel Umesh Chandra argued by citing few relevant judgements that the alleged MLA be arrested immediately without any delay, even as the investigation may be continued.

Justice Naveen Rao stated that unless investigation is not completed the court cannot direct the police to arrest any accused to which the counsel informed the bench that they would produce the relevant judgements to this case proceeding and sought time till next week. The matter was adjourned to the 21st of this month.

The Patancheru police of Sangareddy district on Wednesday booked a case against the TRS MLA G. Mahipal Reddy for allegedly threatening and abusing the Dalit journalist over the phone over news report filed by him about a land grabbing case. Patancheru police booked case 331/20 under section 504 (intentional insult, with intent to provoke, breach of peace) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC and under the provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

The Dalit journalist working in a local newspaper filed a complaint with the Sangareddy police, accusing MLA Mahipal Reddy of abusing and threatening him over phone on Tuesday, following a news report filed by him, in which exposed how the legislator’s followers were involved in grabbing land in Ameenpur area.