HYDERABAD: A division bench of the Telangana High Court has reserved its order on a writ petition filed by BRS president and former chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao, challenging the proceedings of the Justice L Narasimha Reddy Commission, which was constituted to inquire into the power purchase agreements between Chhattisgarh and Telangana, and the construction of the Bhadradri and Yadadri thermal power plants. The order will be pronounced on July 1.
Senior Counsel Aditya Sondhi, representing KCR, argued that the public statements made by the Commission indicate a pre-judgment of the issue. However, Advocate General A Sudershan Reddy contended that the writ petition was not maintainable and intended to stall the Commission’s proceedings. The AG emphasised that the Commission invited objections, including in a public notice issued on May 15–16, 2024, but none were filed, indicating no perceived bias.
The AG said that the request by KCR for more time to appear before the Commission, which was granted, showed the Commission’s impartiality. The AG also referred to the judgment in the K Vijay Bhaskar Reddy vs Government of AP case, arguing that similar inquiries have been upheld by the courts in the past. This precedent, he contended, invalidates the claims of bias and pre-judgment in the current case.
When Chief Justice Alok Aradhe questioned Aditya Sondhi on his reliance on the Vijay Bhaskar Reddy judgment, he said that Justice Narasimha Reddy’s public statements about financial losses due to the power purchases demonstrated bias.