The Telangana High Court has ordered status quo on proceedings that could lead to the impounding of BRS working president KT Rama Rao’s passport. Justice EV Venugopal, hearing Rama Rao’s plea challenging a September 28 show-cause notice and subsequent proceedings dated October 13, 2026, issued in connection with a criminal case pending before the ACB trial court. The judge issued notices to the Union government, the Regional Passport Officer, Hyderabad, and the Telangana Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB).
Justice Venugopal questioned the ACB on why it had informed the passport authority about the case after a chargesheet had been filed. The court also asked whether the bureau had sought passport impounding before the trial court.
Counsel for the ACB sought time to obtain instructions. The Deputy Solicitor General submitted that the notice was appealable under the Passport Act and that no order to impound the passport had been passed. The court directed the ACB to clarify whether it had informed the passport authority about the pending case.
Will summon CS in contempt case, warns bench
The Telangana High Court has warned that the chief secretary must appear on November 4 and explain why contempt action should not be initiated if its 2022 order is not fully implemented.
A bench of Acting Chief Justice P Sam Koshy and Justice NV Shravan Kumar issued the warning on October 26 while hearing contempt proceedings against the principal secretary of the School Education department.
The officer appeared and filed an affidavit indicating partial compliance, but the court was told that approval from the competent authority was still pending at the chief secretary’s level.
The bench granted a final opportunity for compliance and directed the principal secretary to appear on November 4, 2026, warning that the chief secretary would also have to attend if the directions remained unimplemented.
By TG Naidu