Kaleshwaram Dam case: Telangana HC grants interim protection to K Chandrasekhar Rao and T Harish Rao

HYDERABAD: Telangana high court on Tuesday granted interim protection to former chief minister and BRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao and former minister T Harish Rao from ‘any adverse action’ based on the Justice PC Ghose Commission’s report. This report inquired into alleged irregularities in the construction of the Kaleshwaram Dam. The protection will remain in place until further orders.

A division bench of chief justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice GM Mohiuddin passed the orders after the state govt assured that no adverse action would be taken against the petitioners based on the findings of the Justice Ghose Commission report.

The bench also clarified that the CBI will conduct an investigation into the matter independently, based on other material, including reports from other central agencies like the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA), and not the Commission’s findings.

The petitioners expressed an apprehension that the ‘adverse findings of the Commission’ could be used against them or form the basis of a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe.

Appearing for the state, Advocate General A Sudardhan Reddy informed the court that no “action taken report” based on the Commission’s report has yet been placed before the Assembly.

The AG also clarified that no action has been initiated against the petitioners on the basis of the Commission’s findings. “The ongoing CBI probe into Kaleshwaram Dam irregularities is based on reports of the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) and other central agencies, not the Commission’s report. The Commission’s report is not being forwarded to the CBI as the basis of investigation,” the AG added.

After recording the submissions from both parties, the court directed the state to file its reply to the pending interlocutory applications (IAs) and counter-affidavits in the main petition and posted the matter to October 7 for further hearing.