Andhra Pradesh high court orders immediate release of YSRCP sympathiser Sridhar Reddy

Vijayawada: The high court on Tuesday criticised the police for not following due procedure at the time of arresting YSRCP sympathiser Avuthu Sridhar Reddy. It also found fault with the orders given by the third additional first-class magistrate court, which sent him in judicial remand. Setting aside the lower court's orders, the high court ordered jail authorities to release Sridhar Reddy.Sridhar Reddy was arrested by Vijayawada police in a case registered over abusive social media postings. He was sent to Nellore jail on judicial remand. Jhansi Vani Reddy, his wife, moved the high court challenging the remand orders given by the lower court. She contended that police arrested her husband without intimating the reasons, and the court did not take cognisance of this fact while remanding him. Arguing on her behalf, P Sashidhar Reddy told the court that the magistrate court first rejected the remand but granted time to police for compliance and then sent him in remand, which is illegal and in violation of Supreme Court guidelines. Arguing on behalf of the police, special govt pleader Yathindradev said police issued notice under 47(1) of BNSS, but the petitioner refused to accept the notice. Considering the arguments, the HC bench comprising Justices R Raghunandan Rao and K Manmadha Rao found fault with the magistrate court for giving orders in a mechanical manner. When it was noticed that the accused was not informed about the reasons for arrest, such an arrest is illegal and he should have been released immediately. However, the magistrate gave time to the police to comply with the rules and then sent the accused to remand. There was no mention anywhere in the record that the accused was arrested for a second time.The high court also criticised the police for not following the rules while arresting the accused, observing that police seem to be taking the personal liberty of people for granted, which cannot be allowed. Setting aside the orders of the lower court, it ordered the release of Sridhar Reddy from jail.