HYDERABAD: Justice K Lakshman of the Telangana High Court on Wednesday extended till January 22, 2025, the interim stay on the summons issued by the Principal Sessions Judge, Jayashankar Bhupalpally district, directing former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and former minister T Harish Rao to appear before the court in connection with allegations of large-scale corruption.
The summons, issued on July 10, 2024, had directed KCR, Harish Rao, former irrigation secretary Rajat Kumar, CMO secretary Smitha Sabharwal, engineer-in-chief Sridhar and representatives of Megha Constructions and L&T to appear before the court.
Earlier, the Principal Junior Civil Judge-cum-Judicial Magistrate of First Class at Jayashankar Bhupalpally had dismissed a private complaint filed by social activist Nagavelli Rajalingamurthy, accusing KCR, Harish Rao and others of misappropriating government funds during the construction of the Medigadda barrage, a key component of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project.
The complainant claimed the alleged corruption resulted in a loss of crores to the state exchequer.
After his private complaint, filed under Section 156(3) of the CrPC was dismissed, Rajalingamurthy filed a revision petition before the Principal Sessions Judge, who issued the summons on July 10.
KCR and Harish Rao then approached the Telangana High Court and Justice K Lakshman ordered a stay.