Court returns private complaint filed against Meenakshi Natarajan, BJP nothing much for Congress to rejoice

A Hyderabad court returned a private complaint against AICC in-charge Meenakshi Natarajan, citing jurisdictional limitations and directing the petitioner to approach the appropriate forum. The BJP said the decision was procedural and did not amount to dismissal of the case.

Hyderabad: Amidst AICC incharge Meenakshi Natarajan’s Rajya Sabha nomination rejection, a local court here has returned the private complaint filed by a woman against the Congress leader, citing jurisdiction limitations. The court has also asked the petitioner to file a petition before proper forum that could address her complaint.

The AICC incharge’s nomination was rejected by the Returning Officer as she failed to mention about the pending case in her affidavit.

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The woman in her private complaint accused that Congress party failed to initiate action against Congress leader K Shiva Kumar Reddy, who is former president of party’s Narayanpet district unit. She alleged that he had sexually harassed and abused her.

Among the seven respondents in the complaint, four are legislators and Meenakshi Natarajan being former Member of Parliament. Accordingly, the IV Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Nampally in which the complaint was filed, had returned it to the petitioner, citing jurisdictional limitations.

However, the Telangana BJP claimed there was nothing much for the Congress to rejoice.

State BJP Chief N Ramchander Rao, who is also an advocate, said the Congress and its ecosystem have nothing to cheer about. The returning of the petition by the trial court does not mean that the case has been rejected, he said on X.

The court has merely returned the complaint on the question of jurisdiction, directing that it be presented before the appropriate court, since the respondents / proposed accused are elected representatives, the State BJP chief stressed.

“The core issue remains unchanged: while filing her nomination papers, she failed to disclose the pending case her in the affidavit. The Congress has absolutely nothing to rejoice over. A procedural return of the complaint is not a clean chit,” Ramchander Rao added.