The HC says Vijayamma's petition against Chandrababu Naidu was "politically-motivated".
The Andhra Pradesh High Court, on Thursday, dismissed a public interest litigation petition filed on 17 October last year by YSR Congress honorary president and Pulivendula MLA Y S Vijayamma, seeking a CBI probe into the alleged illegal assets of Telugu Desam president N Chandrababu Naidu.
Disposing of the petition, the bench, comprising Justice G Rohini and Justice Ashutosh Mehta, opined that Vijayamma's petition was in violation of the principles of natural justice, and termed it "politically-motivated".
Causing major relief to the TDP chief, the bench observed that the petition has no locus standi for trial.
It may be recalled that Vijayamma had filed a PIL against Chandrababau Naidu and 12 others, including media baron Ramoji Rao, seeking probe by the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate against Naidu on various counts.
In her petition, she alleged that many acts of criminal misconduct were committed during Naidu's regime in Andhra Pradesh from 1995 to 2004.
The petition was admitted, and on 4 November 2011, a preliminary probe by the CBI was ordered by a bench headed by Justice Amhed Kukru, on the last day of his service as Chief Justice of AP High Court.
The bench directed the agencies to investigate and submit a report to it within 3 months.
Later, the case had been shunted between several benches, on the cause of "not before me" by Chief Justice Lokur and 3 other justices of the AP High Court, and finally heard by the bench of Justice Rohini.
The Justice Rohini bench had stayed the CBI's preliminary probe, and reserved its judgment on 14 December after hearing both sides, including the Reliance group, in the case.
It may be recalled that the petitioner, Y S Vijayamma, had faced a similar rebuttal in the Supreme Court, where she had filed an affidavit seeking transfer of the trial on the PIL to any court outside Andhra Pradesh. (INN)