Hyderabad: In a significant development in the phone tapping case, the Supreme Court of India has granted interim relief to the accused, Aruvel Shravan Kumar, allowing him to participate in the investigation while he is currently in the United States.
The bench, comprising Justice BV Nagarathna and Justice Satish Chandra Sharma, issued this order on Monday.
Shravan Kumar had filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) challenging the Telangana High Court’s denial of his anticipatory bail.
During the proceedings, senior advocate Dama Sheshadri Naidu argued on behalf of the petitioner, requesting not only the issuance of notices to the respondents but also interim relief from arrest.
The state government’s lawyer opposed this request, citing that a Red Corner Notice had been issued against the petitioner.
Justice Nagarathna intervened, questioning whether the state could arrest Shravan Kumar immediately.
The state’s lawyer replied that they could not do so as he was hiding in America.
Justice Nagarathna then suggested that the state should initiate official procedures to bring him back, emphasizing that granting interim relief would benefit the state as it would compel Shravan Kumar to return to India.
The court noted that if they did not grant this interim relief, there was a possibility that he might never return to India.
It was stated that if the police issued notices for his appearance in the investigation, he would be obliged to return.
Consequently, the court decided to grant him interim relief until the next hearing, with a condition that he must cooperate with the investigation.
The petitioner’s lawyer assured the court that Shravan Kumar would return to India within 48 hours.
Follow on Twitter | Posted by P N Sree Harsha | 
