Hyderabad : Advocate general of Telangana K. Ramakrishna Reddy on Friday submitted before Justice B. Siva Shankar Rao of the Hyderabad High Court that the state government too wanted the judge to recuse himself from hearing the quash petition moved by Mr Jerusalem Mathaiah in the cash-for-vote case.
 
The AG made an unscheduled appearance before the judge and told him that there was convention of judges recusing themselves from hearing cases when one of the parties expressed apprehensions. Mr Mathaiah, the fourth accused in the cash-for-vote case, had filed a case before Justice Rao seeking quashing of the criminal case against him. The judge had granted interim orders and MLA Elvis Stephenson, the complainant in the case, had filed a petition requesting the judge to transfer the case to another judge.
 
When arguments took place on Thursday, the advocate general had chosen not to give his opinion in this issue. However, on Friday he came to the court hall of Justice Rao along with Mr Siddhartha Luthra, senior counsel appearing for Mr Mathaiah, and informed Justice Rao that there were several instances of judges recusing themselves from hearing cases when one of the parties expressed reasonable apprehensions. He said that the court should consider the MLA’s request.
 
The judge told the advocate general that he had taken note of the submissions and the implicit message and said that he would consider it while delivering the orders on Monday on the plea of Mr Stephenson.