KCR, Harish Rao move Telangana High Court against Bhupalpally court order on Medigadda petition

The petitioners filed a quash petition against the order directing the registration of a criminal revision petition filed by one Nagavelli Rajalingamurthy, who accused them and other officials of corruption related to the collapse of the Medigadda Barrage.

BY LEGAL CORRESPONDENT

Hyderabad: BRS president and former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao and Siddipet MLA T Harish Rao approached the Telangana High Court on Monday challenging the order of the Principal Sessions Judge of Jayashankar Bhupalpally district. The petitioners filed a quash petition against the order directing the registration of a criminal revision petition filed by one Nagavelli Rajalingamurthy, who accused them and other officials of corruption related to the collapse of the Medigadda Barrage.

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In his private complaint, Rajalingamurthy alleged that the collapse was due to corruption by the petitioners and other officials, resulting in the petitioners being named as Accused No. 1 and 2. The Magistrate’s Court in Jayashankar Bhupalpally dismissed the complaint on January 12, 2024, ruling that it did not have jurisdiction to hear the case, as it was a Special Court for Prevention of Corruption Act offences. However, the complainant filed a revision petition before the Principal Sessions Judge, who initially raised an objection regarding jurisdiction but ultimately allowed the revision to proceed, directing the registry to register the petition.

The petitioners have challenged this decision, arguing that the Sessions Judge’s order was illegal and without jurisdiction. They contended that the Sessions Judge’s reasoning, which included concerns about sending a “wrong message to society” and ensuring public confidence in the judiciary, was misplaced and went beyond the legal issues at hand. The petitioners argued that the Sessions Judge failed to identify any illegality in the Magistrate’s order.

The case is expected to be heard this week by the Telangana High Court.