Hyderabad: The judge who on Monday had submitted his resignation, hours after acquitting the accused in Makkah Masjid blast case, resumed duties on Thursday.
Judge K. Ravinder Reddy had resigned after delivering the verdict, which found the prosecution had failed in proving charges against the five accused — who belonged to various hardline Hindu groups.
The resignation of the 4th Metropolitan judge and judge of National Investigating Agency (NIA) court was rejected by the acting chief justice of Hyderabad High Court, Ramesh Ranganathan, who also cancelled his leave.
The acting chief justice directed the judge to return to work and he resumed duties at the Nampally court complex on Thursday.
The resignation had sparked speculation and rumours that the judge was under pressure during the trial, while others said he was planning to enter politics.
Meanwhile more details have emerged of how the NIA’s investigation officer in the Makkah Masjid blast case was changed at a very crucial stage, just days before the verdict.
Pratibha Ambedkar, an IPS officer of 2007 batch belonging to the Uttar Pradesh cadre, who was supervising the blast case directly was suddenly transferred back to her home state.
She had joined the NIA for a four-year term and still had five months to go.
Sources said she was transferred on the request of the UP government and was relieved within hours of the orders.
Amid myriad allegations and criticism that the NIA had deliberately weakened the Makkah Masjid blast case, the sudden transfer of the officer has also raised a lot of questions.
