KTR sends legal notice to media house over passport report

BRS working president KT Rama Rao has served a legal notice on Telugu daily Eenadu over a report claiming that a special court ordered the temporary seizure of his passport. He contends that no such court order exists, seeks withdrawal and correction of the report, and warns of defamation proceedings if the newspaper fails to comply.

Hyderabad: BRS working president KT Rama Rao issued a legal notice to Telugu vernacular newspaper “Eenadu,” objecting to a news report published on September 29, stating that a special court had ordered temporary seizure of his passport. He demanded the withdrawal of the report within 48 hours, the publication of a correction with the same prominence and tendering of an unconditional apology.

The notice also sought corrections across the newspaper’s digital platforms and archives, failing which the newspaper was warned of civil and criminal defamation proceedings and action before approaching the Press Council of India.

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In the notices served to the newspaper’s editor, publisher, printer, resident editor and reporter, Rama Rao’s counsel, N Lalitha Reddy said the report was contrary to facts and could mislead readers.

The notice said the ACB investigating officer had only filed a memo before the special court seeking appropriate orders regarding Rama Rao’s passport. It alleged that the newspaper wrongly presented the memo as a court order and stressed that the court had not issued any direction for temporary seizure of the passport.

The counsel pointed out that the Regional Passport Office issued a show-cause notice to the BRS working president on September 28 under Section 10(3)(e) of the Passports Act, giving him 15 days to respond. The notice also sought disclosure of the sources and material relied upon for the report, besides preservation of related messages, emails, notes, recordings, documents and electronic records.