HC Orders Contempt Case Against Elvin Stephenson

The nominated Anglo-Indian Telangana MLA Elvis Stephenson, who suddenly shot into fame for trapping the Telugu Desam Party leadership in the alleged note-for-vote deal during the recent Telangana MLC elections, received a jolt on Monday when the Hyderabad High Court dismissed his petition seeking transfer of a quash petition to another bench.

What is more, apart from giving the shocking blow to Stephenson, the High Court also directed that a contempt case be registered against him for misleading the court.

It may be mentioned here that another accused (A4) in the note-for-vote scandal, Jerusalem Mathaiah, was evading arrest by the ACB, and suddenly went underground. In a surprise move, he filed a petition in the High Court seeking quashing of his name from the FIR, and sought a stay on his arrest. The court accordingly granted a stay on his arrest.

Thereupon Stephenson filed a criminal miscellaneous petition seeking a new judge to hear the quash petition filed by Mathaiah. The hearings of the cases of both Mathaiah and Stephenson were slated for today.

After hearing the arguments in the petition filed by Stephenson, the court rejected it. Thereupon, Stephenson filed another petition pleading replacement of the judge in his own case on the grounds that he was showing partiality towards Mathaiah.

Taking serious objection to the charge of showing partiality to Mathaiah, the court observed that the allegations were baseless and were intended only to divert and mislead the court on the issue.

Hence, the court dismissed the petition filed by Stephenson besides ordering the High Court Registrar to register a contempt case against the nominated MLA under Section 14 of the IPC.

However, the issue took an interesting twist when the judge, Justice Sivasankar Rao, directed that his orders in the matters be placed before the Chief Justice, and further actions be taken upon the directions of the Chief Justice.

Thus, all attention is now focused on what action the Chief Justice will take in the matter - whether he will direct the petition filed by Stephenson to another bench or order that the same judge who is dealing with it continue to handle the case.

Though Stephenson is understood to be contemplating moving the Supreme Court in this regard, political analysts and legal experts feel that the nominated MLA brought trouble upon himself due to his overzealousness to appease the ruling party bosses by wanting a change of the judge hearing the petition. This is nothing but casting aspersions and doubting the integrity of the judge, they contended.

Now with the issue surrounding the quash petition filed by the nominated MLA to be resolved by the Chief Justice, and the verdict in the bail application of Revanth Reddy expected tomorrow, political circles are watching with bated breadth as to what more twists and turns are in store in the raging note-for-vote controversy. (NSS)