CID notices to chartered accountants | Andhra Pradesh High Court posted the case after four weeks 

Justice B. S. Bhanumathi of Andhra Pradesh High Court posted the writ petition filed by Chartered Accountants P. V. Mallikarjuna Rao and Muppalla Subbarao against the notices issued to them by the CID for further hearing after four weeks. 

Justice B. S. Bhanumathi of Andhra Pradesh High Court (HC) posted the writ petition filed by Chartered Accountants (CAs) P. V. Mallikarjuna Rao and Muppalla Subbarao against the notices issued to them by the CID under Sections 91 and 160 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CRPC) for further hearing after four weeks. 

The judge first asked whether the notices survived, to which advocate P. V. G. Umesh Chandra replied that his clients chose not to appear before the CID on the stipulated dates i.e. April 15 and 17 and they sought a week’s time to do so while seeking interim relief from High Court. 

CID standing counsel Siva Kalpana Reddy argued that the petition ought to be dismissed as the notices became infructuous and apprised the court that fresh notices would be issued.

Mr. Umesh Chandra then said the petition was maintainable as he did not press for interim relief consequent to the expiry of notices and more importantly because the main prayer for declaring the very issuance of notices as illegal and unconstitutional was yet to be considered by the High Court.  

He insisted that the petition should be kept pending to enable the aggrieved CAs to approach the court again when fresh notices were served by the CID as informed by its counsel.  

After hearing both sides, Justice Bhanumathi posted the petition after May 18 giving a scope to the petitioners to come back with their plea in the event of issue of notices afresh by the CID. 

It may be noted that the CID summoned the CAs and some others (on different dates) to appear before it and explain the statements made by them on the arrest of CA K. Shravan at a round-table meeting organised by a forum of professionals in Vijayawada on April 2.