Supreme Court Upholds Dismissal in Telangana Cash-for-Vote Scandal

The Supreme Court dismissed Telangana's appeal against an order nullifying charges against Jerusalem Mathai in the 2015 cash-for-vote scam. The court found no substantial evidence connecting Mathai to the crime. The investigation involved high-profile arrests and charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The Supreme Court on Friday put an end to the Telangana government's appeal related to the 2015 cash-for-vote scam, by confirming an earlier ruling that cleared the accused Jerusalem Mathai. Despite the state's objections, the court found no basis to overturn the existing judgment.

A bench led by Chief Justice of India B R Gavai, alongside Justice K Vinod Chandran, emphasized that the previous decision effectively demonstrated there's insufficient evidence to proceed against Mathai. The judgment critiqued attempts to depict the legal proceedings as a 'mini trial', asserting that such claims did not hold up under scrutiny.

The scandal first erupted on May 31, 2015, when then-TDP member Revanth Reddy was caught by the ACB reportedly offering a bribe to MLA Elvis Stephenson for electoral support. Following this, other parties involved were arrested and later received bail. Reddy and others were subsequently charged under the Prevention of Corruption Act among other legal provisions.