Telangana High Court Issues Notices to BRS Leader in Defamation Cases Filed by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy
The Telangana High Court on Thursday issued formal notices to BRS leader and former Bhupalpally MLA Gandra Venkata Ramana Reddy in response to criminal petitions filed by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy. The petitions seek the quashing of two separate cases registered against the chief minister in the year 2023, which are currently pending before lower courts.
Court Declines Stay on Proceedings, Adjourns Hearing to February 21
Justice K Sujana, presiding over the matter, heard arguments from both sides but declined the petitioner's specific request to stay all further legal proceedings. This includes Revanth Reddy's scheduled appearance before the trial court. The judge has adjourned the petitions for a more detailed hearing on February 21, 2024. Notably, the two cases in question are themselves scheduled to come up before the lower court on February 19, just two days prior to the high court's next hearing date.
Background of the Cases: Allegations of Defamatory Remarks
The cases originated from complaints lodged by the BRS leader, Gandra Venkata Ramana Reddy, against Revanth Reddy. At the time of the alleged incidents, Revanth Reddy was serving as the President of the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) and as the Member of Parliament representing the Malkajgiri constituency. The complaints alleged that the Congress leader had made a series of defamatory and personally demeaning remarks targeting the complainant.
The specific allegations leveled in the complaints included claims that the BRS leader was:
- Involved in illegal land grabbing activities.
- Engaged in the pilferage of petrol and sand resources.
- Responsible for the misappropriation of funds belonging to the Singareni Collieries Company Limited.
Based on these complaints, two First Information Reports (FIRs) were registered at the Mogulapally and Bhupalpally police stations, both located within the Jayashankar Bhupalapally district of Telangana.
Legal Arguments Presented by Chief Minister's Counsel
Appearing on behalf of Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, the legal counsel presented a key argument before the high court. The counsel contended that the contents of both complaints filed by the former legislator were virtually identical in nature. This similarity, they argued, pointed towards a mala fide intent—a bad faith motive—and indicated a deliberate attempt to harass the petitioner through the legal system.
On this primary ground, the court was formally urged to exercise its inherent powers and quash the ongoing criminal proceedings against the chief minister. The high court's issuance of notices to the BRS leader is the first step in considering these arguments in depth during the forthcoming hearing.
