Telangana HC orders police to return BRS MLA Kaushik Reddy’s phone

Hyderabad: Justice B Vijaysen Reddy of the Telangana High Court has ordered the police to return the mobile phone of BRS leader and Huzurabad MLA Padi Kaushik Reddy, which was seized on December 6 during an investigation into a case against him.The judge emphasized that there was no significant gravity in the case, prompting the decision for the phone’s return. The court was hearing a writ petition filed by MLA Reddy, who sought the return of his iPhone 14 Pro Max.His counsel, TV Ramana Rao, argued that police officers from Masab Tank and Banjara Hills had forcibly entered Reddy’s residence on December 5 with a large contingent of 50 personnel, causing a disturbance.During this incident, Reddy’s phone was taken without consent, and he has since been denied its return.In response to the court proceedings, the government pleader for Home stated that Reddy and his supporters had behaved disruptively at the police station, obstructing officers from performing their duties.Consequently, they justified the seizure of his mobile phone, claiming it was sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) to retrieve data as part of an investigation into alleged conspiratorial actions against the state. The court has scheduled further hearings on this matter for December 12.