Margadarsi case: AP HC bench dismisses appeals of govt, police against defreezing accounts

The AP High Court bench clarified that the interim orders passed by the single judge in the Margadarsi Chit Fund case are not appealable under the provisions of the criminal law. The court further directed the government and the police to file a counter in the cases before the single judge. It is expected that the single judge will hear the main suits as soon as possible

Amaravati (Andhra Pradesh) : A bench of the Andhra Pradesh High Court (HC) dismissed the appeals filed by the AP state government and the police against the order passed by a single judge of the High Court allowing them to maintain (defreeze) the bank accounts of three branches of the Margadarsi Chit Fund Company.

The appeals of the government and the police are not maintainable, the bench said. It clarified that the interim orders passed by the single judge in the Margadarsi Chit Fund case are not appealable under the provisions of the criminal law. The court further directed the government and the police to file a counter in the cases before the single judge. It is expected that the single judge will hear the main suits as soon as possible. The HC bench consisting of judges Justice U Durgaprasada Rao and Justice A V Ravindra Babu issued an order to this effect on Friday.

Last Thursday, the single judge of HC suspended the notices issued separately by the AP State Police for the freezing of the bank accounts of the three branches of Margadarsi Chit Fund located at Chirala, Visakhapatnam and Sithampeta in Visakhapatnam area. Justice S Subba Reddy of AP High Court issued interim orders, instructing the respective bank managers to defreeze the accounts maintained by the Margadarsi branch managers for the convenience of the chit fund customers.