The Telangana High Court has delivered a significant ruling in the high-profile Kaleshwaram irrigation project case, granting extended legal protection to former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and other prominent political figures until early 2026.
Court Grants Protective Shield Until 2026
In a crucial development on Wednesday, the Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice G M Mohiuddin extended the interim protection granted to former CM K Chandrasekhar Rao, former irrigation minister T Harish Rao, former chief secretary Shailendra Kumar Joshi, and former CMO secretary Smita Sabharwal. The protection shields them from any adverse action based on the Ghose Commission findings until the next hearing scheduled for January 2026.
The court was addressing four separate writ petitions filed by each of the petitioners seeking to quash the inquiry report submitted by the P C Ghose Commission. The commission was constituted by the current Congress government to investigate alleged irregularities in the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP) during the previous BRS administration.
Legal Battle Over Commission Report
The Ghose Commission, which completed its investigation into the multi-crore irrigation project, submitted its final report to the state government on August 31. Following a marathon debate in the Assembly, the case was promptly forwarded to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on September 1 for further probe.
The legal protection extension came after state counsel sought additional time to file counter-affidavits in response to the petitions. The Bench expressed clear displeasure over the delay in filing counters, noting that even after one month, the necessary documents had not been submitted. The court granted four more weeks for filing counter-affidavits in the three remaining connected matters, with three additional weeks for petitioners to file their replies.
Petitioners' Legal Strategy and Allegations
The legal battle began shortly after the Ghose Commission report was tabled in the Assembly. KCR and Harish Rao approached the High Court on September 2, expressing concerns that the state government would use the commission's adverse findings as the foundation for the CBI investigation against them.
Former bureaucrat Shailendra Kumar Joshi and Smita Sabharwal, who currently serves as Member Secretary of the Telangana Finance Commission, filed similar petitions on September 3 and September 25 respectively. All petitioners have raised serious questions about the procedural aspects of the commission's investigation.
The central argument presented by the petitioners claims that the Commission failed to issue notices under Sections 8-B and 8-C of the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952. They contend that this omission violated both statutory law and principles of natural justice, as they were allegedly given no opportunity to respond to allegations against them or cross-examine witnesses.
The court's decision to extend interim protection until January 2026 provides significant breathing space for the political leaders and bureaucrats involved, while ensuring that the legal process moves forward with proper procedural safeguards in place.
