IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE, ANDHRA PRADESH AT HYDERABAD MONDAY, THE TWENTY FIRST DAY OF DECEMBER TWO THOUSAND AND NINE PRESENT: HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE P. SWAROOP REDDY CRIMINAL PETITION No.10736 OF 2009 Between: Kairam Appa Rao, S/o. Somanna ….Petitioner – Accused AND The State of A.P., through the Station House Officer, Devarapalli Police Station, West Godavari District, Rep. by the Public Prosecutor, High Court of A.P., Hyderabad & another ....Respondents HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE P. SWAROOP REDDY CRIMINAL PETITION No.10736 OF 2009 ORDER: This Criminal Petition under Section 482 Cr.P.C. is filed by the petitioner Kairam Appa Rao, accused, seeking to quash the proceedings against him in Crime No.189 of 2009 of Devarapalli Police Station, West Godavari District, registered for the offence under Section 3(1)(x) of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 (for short “SC & ST Act”). 2. In view of the representation given by the Members of Devarapalli Gram Panchayat to the Mandal Executive Officer, where it is alleged that the Sarpanch, the de facto complainant herein, is trying to file cases under the SC & ST Act against the Members of Gram Panchayat and in view of the present allegation that the impugned complaint is at the instance of the Sarpanch and no such incident has taken place, it is directed that investigation and consequential steps on the basis of result of the investigation shall go on, but the petitioner shall not be arrested till filing of charge sheet, if any. The representation given by the Members of the Devarapalli Gram Panchayat which was received by the Mandal Executive Officer with his endorsement dated 10-10- 2009, shall form part of the record. 3. With the above directions, the Criminal Petition is disposed of at the admission stage itself. ____________________ P. SWAROOP REDDY, J December 21, 2009. PV