Telangana High Court grants interim relief to Mohan Babu, Manchu Vishnu

The actors had approached the court seeking relief from notices issued to them under Section 126 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, which pertains to potential breaches of public peace.

Hyderabad: Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy of the Telangana High Court on Wednesday granted interim relief to actors Manchu Mohan Babu and his son Vishnu, deferring their presence before the police until the next hearing on December 24. The actors had approached the court seeking relief from notices issued to them under Section 126 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, which pertains to potential breaches of public peace.

In the initial proceedings, Justice Reddy observed that, prima facie, there appeared to be no breach of peace at the actor’s residence. The court directed that the presence of the petitioners before the police be dispensed with for now. The judge also recommended the deployment of police personnel to maintain law and order in the area. However, when Government Pleader for Home, Mahesh Raje, opposed the suggestion, stating that special ‘Blue Colt’ police teams would be stationed continuously at the actor’s residence, Justice Reddy reconsidered and directed the police to ensure no breach of peace without the need for constant surveillance.

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The case stemmed from a dispute within the Manchu family, involving two factions: one led by Mohan Babu and his elder son Vishnu, and the other by his younger son, Manchu Manoj. The dispute reportedly escalated due to attempts by Manoj, along with associates, to take possession of the family property in Jalpally village of Rangareddy district. Counsel for the petitioners, S. Nagesh, argued that the property was the family’s residence for over a decade and that Manoj’s actions had led to disturbances at the house. Nagesh further stated that despite filing a complaint with the police, no action was taken against Manoj, but the petitioners were issued show cause notices instead.

During the hearing, the judge expressed concern over the role of media and social media, commenting on the spread of false news and questioning why the media was focusing on the private matters of a family. “Why is the media interested in the personal issues of a family?” Justice Vijaysen remarked.

The writ petition filed by Mohan Babu and Vishnu sought to quash the police notices, asserting that they had not committed any offense under the cited section. The petitioners further requested the court to direct the police to provide a picket at their residence to maintain peace. In response, Mahesh Raje, representing the State, contended that the writ petition was premature, as the police had only issued a show cause notice, and urged the court not to intervene at this stage.

Justice Reddy, while expressing hope that the family would resolve the issue amicably, scheduled the next hearing for December 24, with the aim of providing additional time for potential reconciliation. If the matter is not resolved by then, the court will further examine the legal and factual aspects of the case.