HYDERABAD: BRS working president KT Rama Rao on Thursday filed a criminal defamation case in Nampally court against Endowments Minister Konda Surekha for making “baseless and malicious” remarks aimed at tarnishing his reputation.
The minister had recently linked Rama Rao with the divorce of actors Akkineni Naga Chaitanya and Samantha.
It may be recalled here that Rama Rao recently sent a legal notice to Konda Surekha, demanding she tender a public apology for her defamatory statements.
The BRS leader filed the criminal defamation case against Surekha as he felt that she did not retract her comments.
In his plea, Rama Rao said that the actions of Surekha should not go unchecked as they not only cause personal damage but also undermine his reputation.
The former minister highlighted that this was not the first time that Surekha had indulged in such defamatory actions. He reminded the court that Surekha had previously been reprimanded by the Election Commission of India for similar baseless remarks.
Surekha’s repeated violations of decorum reflect a deliberate attempt to harm my reputation through a pattern of malicious behaviour,” Rama Rao said.
The BRS working president also pointed out that her repeated, deliberate and defamatory statements were not isolated incidents but part of a larger, orchestrated effort to damage his image and standing. He stressed that these actions must be viewed as criminal offenses under defamation laws.
“Surekha made the remarks with ... malice, intending to harm his personal and professional reputation. These defamatory statements were not just political jibes but calculated efforts to degrade the image of KTR in the eyes of the public. By filing this case, KTR seeks to establish accountability for such misconduct and deter future malicious campaigns, the petition filed by Rama Rao’s advocate said.
“The accused has propensity to make false statement rashly without any verification using public platforms. The accused has rendered herself liable for punishment for the offence of defamation, made punishable under section 356 of BNS,” it added.
Meanwhile, Nampally court recorded the statement of the second witness in another defamation case filed by veteran actor Akkineni Nagarjuna against Konda Surekha. The court posted further hearing to October 14.