“Go back to jail. Your custodial interrogation is necessary,” Justice Mehta remarked, adding, “We are amazed by the reach the accused has. How did you get the case diary? This is unacceptable"

The Supreme Court on Friday severely criticised YSRCP leader and former MLA Pinnelli Ramakrishna Reddy and his brother Pinnelli Venkatarami Reddy for obtaining access to the case diary in the double murder case involving two Telugu Desam Party (TDP) workers.

The Bench questioned how the accused managed to procure such sensitive investigation material at this stage of the probe.

The Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta heard the anticipatory bail pleas and expressed strong displeasure over what it termed a clear instance of tampering.

“Go back to jail. Your custodial interrogation is necessary,” Justice Sandeep Mehta remarked, adding, “We are amazed by the reach the accused has. How did you get the case diary? This is unacceptable.”


Senior Advocates Siddharth Dave and Shoeb Alam appeared for the Pinnelli brothers. Counsel for the complainant raised a preliminary objection to the filing of a Section 161 CrPC statement by the accused, flagging the irregular access to investigation documents.

The defence argued that the material had been obtained through legitimate means, but the court dismissed the explanation.

Calling the situation “tampering, plain and simple,” Justice Mehta observed that the case diary appeared to have been “served on a platter.”

Finding no grounds to grant protection, the Supreme Court dismissed the anticipatory bail applications of both accused and granted them two weeks to surrender.

In a related news, in 2024, the Apex Court had restrained Pinneli Ramakrishna Reddy from entering the surroundings related to area where the counting process of votes is to take place. A vacation bench comprising Justices Arvind Kumar and Sandeep Mehta had passed the instant direction in an SLP filed by Namburi Shankar Rao regarding the anticipatory bail given to Pinneli Ramakrishna Reddy through the High Court's interim order.

As per the Supreme Court, the Andhra Pradesh High Court by way of a highly erroneous and needless order has granted interim protection to Pinelli who is accused of damaging Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). The Court was further told that despite video evidence against Pinelli, police filed the case against unknown persons. Hearing this Justice Kumar had remarked, "Where was the question of bail? If we don't stay it will be mockery of justice system..."
. In response, Senior Advocate Vikas Singh, appearing for the MLA had assured the Court that Pinelli would not enter the counting area after which the Court stopped itself from staying the interim protection.

Case Title: Pinnelli Ramakrishna Reddy v. State of Andhra Pradesh and another connected matter 

Hearing Date: November 28, 2025

Bench: Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta 

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