HYDERABAD: The legal team representing former minister T Harish Rao on Wednesday focused on discrediting G Chakradhar Goud, the de-facto complainant in the sensational phone-tapping case, before the Telangana High Court. Senior counsel Dama Seshadri Naidu, representing Harish Rao, pointed out to Justice K Lakshman that Goud had a history of 11 criminal cases since 2006. The charges he faced included rape, fraud and other offences, Naidu alleged, accusing the Congress government of shielding the complainant, using its counter affidavit to justify the delay in registering the FIR.
Justice Lakshman was hearing criminal petitions filed by Harish Rao and former DCP P Radhakishan Rao. Presenting his arguments, Naidu stated that there was no substantive evidence to support charges under IPC Sections 120B, 386, 409, 506, and Section 66 of the IT Act against his client. Due to time constraints, the hearing was adjourned to February 19, 2025. Meanwhile, the court extended interim protection from arrest for both petitioners and directed senior counsel Uma Maheshwar Rao, representing Radhakishan Rao, to file a counter affidavit before the next hearing.
Narsapur MLA told to add complainant in her petition
Justice K Lakshman of the Telangana High Court on Wednesday directed counsel representing Narsapur MLA Sunitha Laxma Reddy to add the complainant — in this instance the Yeldurthy sub-inspector of police — in her petition regarding a case related to staging a protest without permission. The MLA, along with nine others charged under IPC Sections 341 and 290 in CC No. 371 of 2024, has urged the court to grant an interim stay on the case pending before the Special Judicial First Class Magistrate for Excise Cases, Hyderabad. The suo motu FIR, registered on June 2, 2018, says that the MLA gathered at Ambedkar X Road, Yeldurthy and raised slogans against the state government, causing public inconvenience and disrupting traffic without prior permission. The petitioner however claims that the case was filed with mala fide intent to harass her.
Judge questions delayed land compensation plea
Justice J Srinivas Rao of the Telangana High Court on Wednesday adjourned a writ petition seeking compensation for land acquired in 2013 for the expansion of a National Highway in Eturunagaram, Mulugu district. The petition was filed by Md Madar Saheb and another. During the hearing, the High Court questioned the maintainability of the petition, citing the significant delay in filing the case. The petitioners claimed that they had been bedridden and were unaware of the developments regarding their land compensation. They also informed the court that they had already submitted a representation to the concerned authorities seeking redress. After considering their contentions, the court decided to adjourn the matter for further hearing on February 18, 2025.