Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court single bench of Justice Kunuru Lakshman on Thursday adjudicated the criminal petition filed by former CM KCR and MLA T Harish Rao, seeking “quash” of order dated July 10, 2024 passed by the Principal Sessions Judge, Jayashankar Bhupalapally, including their appearance.
KCR and Harish are accused of swindling and misappropriating of crores during construction of the Medigadda barrage, part of the Kaleshwaram Irrigation Project, which is damaged. A private complaint was raised before the lower court in Jayashankar Bhupalapally district to punish KCR, Harish, Irrigation Secretary Rajat Kumar, Secretary in the then CMO Smita Sabharwal, Engineer-in-Chief Sridhar and Krishna Reddy (Megha Constructions} and L&T.
On the last date of hearing, Justice Lakshman suspended the order dated January 24, 2024 passed by the Principal Sessions Judge at Bhupalapally giving relief to KCR and Harish from appearance. The judge extended the same relief to them until February 20 on ground that Rapolu Bhaskar, HC advocate, impleaded in the petition for the de facto complainant, intended to file a counter-affidavit.
Bhaskar appeared for the de facto complainant Nagavelli Rajalingamurthy, a social activist, who in his private complaint before the Principal Sessions Judge, Bhupalapally, accused KCR, Harish and others of resorting to large scale misappropriation of funds and causing crores of loss to the exchequer during construction of the barrage.
