Hyderabad: Justice P Keshava Rao was born on March 29, 1961, to Potlapalli Prakash Rao and Potlapalli Jayaprada at Pendyala in erstwhile Warangal district. His father was a government employee and retired as Assistant Director of Marketing department.
Rao did his graduation in sciences from Kakatiya Degree College in Warangal and secured Law degree from Kakatiya University in 1986. He enrolled as an advocate in April, 1986. He started practicing in the office of late Pingle Sambasiva Rao at the Warangal District Headquarters Courts. He shifted to Hyderabad in 1991 and joined the office of late MV Ramana Reddy.
Justice Keshav Rao started independent practice in 1996 in various branches of law including Constitution, civil, criminal and election matters. He also represented undivided Andhra Pradesh as a Government Pleader attached to the office of D Prakash Reddy, the then Additional Advocate General from October, 1998 to October, 2001.
He was appointed as Special Standing Counsel for CBI (Special Public Prosecutor) in March, 2010, till April, 2016. He was re-engaged by the CBI in September, 2016, for doing specially entrusted high profile cases.
Justice Keshav Rao was appointed as Standing Counsel for Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) in March, 2015, and continued in the post till his elevation as High Court Judge. In his carrier as advocate, he also served as Standing Counsel for Quli Qutub Shah Urban Development Authority.
He was elevated to the Bench as a Judge of the High Court of Judicature for the State of Telangana and the State of Andhra Pradesh and assumed charge on September 21, 2017.