Court orders CM Revanth’s presence at hearing

HYDERABAD: Expressing its displeasure over the absence of several key accused, the Nampally Metropolitan Criminal Court on Tuesday issued an order to Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, directing him and other accused in the 2015 cash-for-vote case to be present in court on October 16.

During the hearing on Tuesday, only one accused Mathaiah Jerusalem was present in court while Revanth Reddy, his close associate R Uday Simha, Vem Krishna Keerthan, the son of Vem Narender Reddy who is presently the adviser to the chief minister, former MLA Sandra Venkata Veeraiah and Harry Sebastian, a bishop who was accused of mediating between Stephenson and Revanth, did not attend, prompting the court’s stern remarks.