The Supreme Court has put on hold the CBI inquiry into the alleged criminal conspiracy behind the attempt to poach four Bharat Rashtra Samithi MLAs by the BJP until at least July, providing temporary relief to the Telangana government.
The Telangana government had earlier alleged that the accused persons had hatched a criminal conspiracy to destabilize the government by luring its MLAs. The high court had earlier observed that the case involved the larger issue of whether elected representatives could be poached and if it posed a threat to democracy.
The high court had then transferred the case to the CBI, citing the importance of a free and fair investigation without any undue influence. However, the Telangana police had challenged this decision, arguing that the CBI was under the control of the central government, and hence, there was a risk of political interference.
The case has become a political flashpoint, with the ruling TRS accusing the BJP of trying to destabilize its government. The BJP, on the other hand, has denied the allegations and called it a political witch-hunt. During the hearing of the appeal filed by the Telangana police against the high court order, the bench orally observed that the CBI should not proceed with the matter, while listing the case for further hearing in July.
The Supreme Court's decision to put the CBI inquiry on hold till July is seen as a temporary relief for the Telangana government. However, the case is far from over, and the final decision is yet to be made. The court will hear the matter again in July and decide whether to continue with the CBI inquiry or not.
