The Telangana High Court has dismissed the ED cases against two IAS officers Adityanath Das (IAS:1987:AP) and Bibhu Prasad Acharya (IAS:1983:AP). The cases were related to Jagan’s disproportionate assets case. The court made it clear that prior government permission (sanction for prosecution) was absolutely necessary for prosecuting IAS officers.

Finding fault with the ED Court in taking up the case filed by ED without prior permission from the government, the HC directed the special court to return the case. The HC, however, granted opportunity to ED officials to register the case again after taking permission from the government.

Stating there was a scope that the above order would have its impact on other ED cases across the country, the ED counsel urged the Court to stay the implementation of the above order for eight weeks. Following the plea by ED counsel, the Court stayed implementation of its order for four weeks to facilitate the ED to approach the Apex Court.

Justice B Siva Sankara Rao was passing this order in petitions filed separately by Adityanath Das and Acharya, both were accused in the cases of land allotments to Hetero and Arabindo and water allocation to India Cements episodes of Jagan’s assets case. Both the officers challenged the decision of the trial court in taking into cognizance for hearing without prior permission for prosecution by the ED.