In a relief to KCR and Harish Rao, the High Court stayed the lower court’s order allowing the appeal case against them.

K. Chandrasekhar Rao File | Photo Credit: Special Arrangements

Former Chief Minister of BRS K. Chandrasekhar Rao and his former cabinet colleague T. Harish Rao on Tuesday (December 24, 2024) got relief from the Telangana High Court, staying the order of the Principal Sessions Judge of Jaishankar district. them.

The judge issued the notice to Nagavelli Rajalingamurthy of the district, who had filed a private complaint in a local court there accusing the former chief minister, former minister and others of corruption in the construction of the Medigadda barrage as part of the Kaleswaram project. The judge noted that the scope of the court to entertain revision petitions is limited.

The judge was hearing a criminal petition filed by KCR and Harish Rao seeking a direction to the PSJ order to dismiss the revision petition filed by Rajalingamurthy. Initially, the petitioner sought an order to investigate the local police on the charges of corruption in the construction of Medigadda Barrage under Section 156 (3) of the Code of Criminal Procedure before the local Principal Junior Judge-cum-Judge I. Filed a private complaint before the Divisional Magistrate. .

He presented KCR, Harish Rao and other top officials as accused in the complaint. However, the JFCM dismissed the complaint for lack of jurisdiction. Challenging this, the petitioner filed a revision petition before the PSJ which allowed it.

The former chief minister and minister, who filed the criminal petition in the High Court, argued that the PSJ had no jurisdiction to allow the revision petition after the JFCM dismissed it on the point of jurisdiction. PSJ observed that disallowing revision petitions sends a wrong message to the society and that revision petitions were not counted in number to instill confidence in the judiciary.

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