Hyderabad: The Hyderabad High Court has rejected the pleas of Mr V.D. Rajagopal, former director of mines and geology of erstwhile AP, to quash criminal proceedings against him pending before the Special CBI court in the illegal investments case of YSRC leader Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.
These cases are with regard to Raghuram Cements mining lease and the mining lease pertaining to Obulapuram Mining Company Private Limited (OMCPL), and Bellary Iron Ore Private Limited (BIOPL).
While dismissing the two criminal petitions, Justice M. Satyanarayana Murthy made it clear that the petitioner could not claim immunity from prosecution on the ground of failure to obtain sanction for prosecuting him under Prevention of Corruption Act of 2018, which came into force with effect on July 26, 2018, but the amended Act 16 of the 2018 cannot have retrospective effect. Justice Murthy said: “if the new amended provision is given retrospective effect, all retired government servants, against whom prosecution is pending, will sneak out from the prosecution. It is nothing but accommodating retired government servant to escape from pending prosecution under the PC Act irrespective of seriousness of offence.”
