KCR, Harish Rao get relief as HC suspends lower court’s order allowing revision case against them

Telangana High Court suspends order against KCR and Harish Rao in corruption case, challenging jurisdiction of lower court.

Former Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao of BRS and his former Cabinet colleague T. Harish Rao got relief with the Telangana High Court on Tuesday (December 24, 2024) suspending the order of the Principal Sessions Judge of Jayashankar district allowing a criminal revision petition against them.

The judge issued notice to Nagavelli Rajalingamurthy of the district, who filed a private complaint with a local court there accusing the former CM, the former Minister and others of indulging in corruption during the construction of the Medigadda barrage as part of Kaleshwaram project. The judge observed that the scope of courts to accept revision petitions was limited.

The judge was hearing a criminal petition filed by KCR and Harish Rao seeking a direction to quash PSJ’s order allowing the revision petition filed by Rajalingamurthy. Initially, the petitioner filed a private complaint with the local Principal Junior Civil Judge-cum-Judicial Firsts Class Magistrate under Section 156 (3) of Criminal Procedure Code seeking an order to the local police to investigate into his allegations of corruption in Medigadda barrage construction.

He arrayed KCR, Harish Rao and other top officials as accused in the complaint. The JFCM, however, dismissed the complaint citing lack of jurisdiction. Challenging this, the petitioner filed a revision petition before the PSJ who allowed it.

The former CM and the Minister, who filed the criminal petition in the HC, contended that the PSJ had no power to allow the revision petition once the JFCM dismissed it on the point of jurisdiction. They maintained the PSJ’s observation that not allowing the revision petition would send the wrong message to society and that the revision petition was not numbered to instil confidence in judiciary were uncalled for.

They contended that the PSJ did not record any finding in the order that the JFCM’s dismissal of the petition suffered from illegality or impropriety. The matter was posted to January 7, 2024 for next hearing.