HYDERABAD: A division bench of the Telangana High Court, comprising Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Anil Kumar Jukanti, adjourned the writ petition filed by former chief minister K Chandrasekar Rao seeking stay on Justice L Narasimha Reddy Commission’s inquiry into the alleged irregularities in power sector during the BRS regime.
The BRS chief sought a stay on the Government Order No. 9 Energy [Power.II] Department, dated March 14, 2024, which constituted the one-man commission headed by former judge -- Justice L Narasimha Reddy to inquire into the procurement of power from Chhattisgarh by Telangana Discoms, and the construction of Bhadradri Thermal Power Plant at Manuguru and Yadadri Thermal Plant at Damacherla. The writ petition was listed before the division bench at the scrutiny stage as the Registry had raised objections regarding the impleadment of Justice Narasimha Reddy in his personal capacity.
Aditya Sondhi, senior counsel for petitioner KCR, clarified these objections. Sondhi informed the court that Justice Narasimha Reddy had already concluded that the KCR’s government had committed irregularities, resulting in a loss of Rs 250-300 crore to the state exchequer. Sondhi argued that this pre-judged and biased decision warranted the inclusion of Justice Reddy in his personal capacity in the writ petition.
He further contended that the power purchase agreements between the Telangana and Chhattisgarh governments were approved by the Electricity Regulatory Commissions of both states. He argued that the press conference held by Justice Reddy on June 11, 2024, where he alleged that the KCR’s government had purchased power from Chhattisgarh on a nomination basis without following proper procedures, was incorrect and biased. This statement, made before KCR had the opportunity to present his case to the commission, demonstrated a pre-determined conclusion by Justice Reddy, he said.
Sondhi also requested the court to direct that the final report of the commission should not be submitted without the court’s consent as the chairman’s conclusions had already been made public, potentially influencing the final report. He emphasized that the information disclosed in the press conference tarnished KCR’s image and would continue to affect his reputation. After hearing the arguments, the Division Bench overruled the Registry’s objections and adjourned the matter to Friday.