Overview

• The bench of Chief Justice B.R. Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran dismissed the State of Telangana’s Special Leave Petition along with a connected petition by complainant Elvis Stephenson.
• The judgment cited inconsistencies between the FIR and general diary dates and said ACB audio and video recordings did not show any role for Mathaiah, noting only a vague reference to a phone call.
• The ruling affirms the Hyderabad High Court’s 2016 order that quashed the FIR and proceedings against Mathaiah under the Prevention of Corruption Act for want of specific evidence.
• The case stems from allegations that a bribe was offered to nominated MLA Elvis Stephenson during the 2015 Legislative Council elections, with Mathaiah earlier listed by investigators as an abettor.
• A separate petition by Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy challenging the trial in the same matter remains pending before the Supreme Court, with the hearing adjourned to October.