Many Amway accused failed to turn up for trial

Date: 23-07-2009
Stage: Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court, Nampally, Hyderabad

The Bench Clerk pronounced the names of the accused persons which was repeated by the Court Attender with a loud noise. William, Ramu, Padma, Manipal Redy, Ashok Reddy, Raja Naren, Anjali Naren, Sreeti Reddy, Radhika Ramani.

Not a single one turned up in the first call. However, a posse of lawyers descended on the Bench Clerk submitting a batch of petitions stating why their clients could not make it to the court. The Magistrate asked the Bench Clerk once again to call out names. The attender repeated the names of the accused and only Ramu, Padma, Ashok Reddy presented themselves. When Raja Naren's name was called a small-built man tried to enter the court. But after the Magistrate asked every one of them to identify themselves by calling out the names, he calmly receded.

The Magistrate queried why everyone was not present. The posse of lawyers offered some lame excuses.

The Magistrate got angry and said why everyone was not present. He posted the next hearing to November 12, 2009 and ordered that everybody should present in the court otherwise he would take it seriously.

Except Padma everyone stood coolly in the court and she was found to be sulking.

Next time, everyone accused in the Amway cheating case should present in the court otherwise, the magistrate may be compelled to issue non-bailable warrants for their arrest.

Incidentally, another petition filed by a de facto complainant in the case has come up for hearing and also posted for the same date. However, the counsels for the petition, Mastan Vali and Shyam Sundar were informed to issue notices to the CID, AP Police, on the issue.

The petition was filed seeking reinvestigation into the whole criminal case because that it was done perfunctorily deleting the names of main culprits. The names of the persons, who filed writ petitions in the AP High Court stating that they were members of Amway, were not included in the chargesheet though they claimed that they hold titles like Diamond, Platinum. Now the CID has to answer why those names were not included in the chargesheet.

The notice to the CID, AP Police, would be served soon, said Mr Mastan Vali counsel for the petitioner.