Telangana High Court grants temporary respite to ex-Chief Minister KCR and BRS leader Harish Rao in the Kaleshwaram project case.

Telangana High Court Grants Interim Relief to KCR and Harish Rao

In a significant development, the Telangana High Court has granted interim relief to K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) and Harish Rao, the Chief Minister and Minister for Irrigation and Water Resources of Telangana respectively, against any coercive action in connection with alleged irregularities in the Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project.

The relief comes after the petitioners argued that the judicial commission of inquiry violated principles of natural justice before it arrived at findings against them. The Court's order states that no adverse action based upon the findings of the commission's report should be taken against the petitioners until the next date of hearing, which is set for October 7.

The Court's order was passed on petitions filed by KCR and Harish Rao against the findings of the Justice PC Ghosh report on the Kaleshwaram project. The report, submitted on July 31, raised serious allegations of corruption against the two leaders.

The Court took on record Advocate General Reddy's assurance that the Commission's report would be tabled in the State Legislative Assembly first, before any action is taken based on its findings. The Court also directed that the summary of the Justice PC Ghosh report be taken down from government websites if it had been uploaded.

The matter relating to the irregularities in the construction and execution of the Kaleshwaram Dam has been referred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The Telangana government has given consent for the matter to be investigated by the CBI. The State denied uploading the report's findings on its portals, while the petitioners argued otherwise. The Court observed that since the report had not been tabled in the Assembly, there was no need for interim protection for the petitioners.

Senior Advocates Aryama Sundaram and Dama Seshadri Naidu, along with Advocates Jaggannagari Venkat Sai and Ponugoti Mohith Rao, appeared for the petitioners. Advocate General A Sudershan Reddy and Senior Advocate S Niranjan Reddy represented the State of Telangana.

The Court adjourned the matter for five weeks when the report had not been placed before the Assembly. The Court has now ordered that no coercive action should be taken against KCR and Harish Rao in connection with the alleged irregularities. The order was passed by a Bench of Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice GM Mohiuddin.

The High Court's decision to grant interim relief to KCR and Harish Rao comes as a relief to the two leaders, who have vehemently denied the allegations levelled against them. The matter is now in the hands of the CBI, which will conduct a thorough investigation into the corruption related to the construction and execution of the Kaleshwaram Dam.

Telangana High Court grants temporary respite to ex-Chief Minister KCR and BRS leader Harish Rao in the Kaleshwaram project case.