Revanth Reddy gets relief as tribunal scraps Rs 50 lakh cash-for-voting case

Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and three others have secured relief from the Appellate Tribunal under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after it set aside the confirmation of the Enforcement Directorate's Rs 50 lakh attachment in the 2015 cash-for-vote case.

The tribunal, headed by Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari, passed the order on September 14, 2026, allowing the appeals filed by Revanth Reddy, Vem Krishna Keerthan, Rudra Sivakumar Uday Simha and Bishop Harry Sebastian.

The appeals challenged the Adjudicating Authority's February 8, 2022 order confirming the ED's provisional attachment order dated May 25, 2021.WHY THE TRIBUNAL SET ASIDE THE ATTACHMENT

The tribunal said that the alleged Rs 50 lakh bribe amount had already been seized by the Anti-Corruption Bureau and was in the custody of the trial court.

It observed that since the amount was already secured with the trial court, there was no apprehension that the proceeds of crime could be dealt with or alienated in a manner that would frustrate their eventual confiscation.

The tribunal consequently held that the ED could not attach an equivalent amount from the appellants under Section 5(1)(b) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, in the circumstances of the case.

It therefore set aside the order confirming the 50 lakh attachment.

The case dates back to May 2015, when the Telangana Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) registered an FIR over an alleged Rs 5 crore offer to nominated MLA Elvis Stephenson ahead of the MLC election.

According to the prosecution allegations, Rs 50 lakh was offered as an advance, with the remaining amount allegedly to be paid subsequently.

The ACB arrested Revanth Reddy, who was then a TDP MLA, along with Bishop Harry Sebastian and Rudra Uday Simha during the alleged transaction. The agency also seized Rs 50 lakh in cash.

The ED later registered an ECIR based on the ACB case and initiated proceedings under the PMLA.

The latest tribunal order specifically concerns the Rs 50 lakh attachment proceedings. It does not decide the underlying criminal case and does not constitute an acquittal of Revanth Reddy or the other accused.- Ends

Principal Correspondent at India Today. Reporting from Hyderabad Bureau. Basheer has keen interest in political stories, analysis, and crime stories. He keeps close watch on all happenings in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. A law graduate, journalist by passion and profession.