Telangana High Court declines interim relief to KCR, Harish Rao in Kaleshwaram case
Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court has declined to grant an interim stay on the report of the Justice (Retd) P.C. Ghose Judicial Commission, which inquired into alleged irregularities in the execution of the massive Kaleshwaram irrigation project on Friday.
A Bench of Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice GM Mohiuddin was hearing the petition filed by former Chief Minister and Bharat Rastra Samithi (BRS) president K. Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) and former Minister and BRS senior leader T. Harish Rao, who had challenged the report's findings against them and sought the quashing of the July 31 report.
The petitioners claim that the Judicial Commission violated principles of natural justice before it arrived at findings against them, and that the State is conducting a media trial by presenting the report's findings in a press conference before a copy was sent to the petitioners.
The High court's ruling was based on the state government’s submission, represented by the Advocate General. The state categorically assured the court that the commission's report would first be placed before the legislative assembly for a full debate, and only after that discussion would any potential action on its findings be considered. Recording this submission, the court stated that this assurance allayed the petitioners' immediate apprehensions, making any interim order for their protection unnecessary at this juncture.
However, the court issued a clear directive regarding the report's public availability. Addressing the petitioners' concerns about the report's contents being prejudicially publicized, the court ordered that if the report or its summary has been uploaded on any official government website, it must be taken down immediately. The state government had denied the allegation that the report was on its official site.
Telangana High Court noted that “When the govt has decided to accept the report and place it before the assembly, the same or its summary should not have been uploaded on the official website before the assembly undertakes a discussion on the commission’s report. In case the report has been uploaded on any official website of the government, it should be taken down."
Specifically referencing the alleged publication during a press conference, the court observed that such action was premature before legislative discussions.
The High Court has set a timeline for the further hearing of the case, asking the state government to file a detailed counter-affidavit within three weeks. The petitioners, KCR and Harish Rao, have been given one week after that to file their replies. The matter will be heard again after these submissions are completed.
