HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court on Thursday reserved its verdict on writ petitions filed by former chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao, former irrigation minister T Harish Rao, former chief secretary Shailendra Kumar Joshi (IAS, Retd.), and IAS officer Smita Sabharwal challenging the report of the Commission of Inquiry headed by former Supreme Court judge PC Ghose on the Kaleshwaram irrigation project.
A bench of Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice GM Mohiuddin heard arguments and said the judgment will be delivered on April 8. Interim protection granted earlier to the petitioners was extended till then.
The state government had constituted the Commission in September 2025 to examine allegations of irregularities, financial mismanagement and misuse of public funds in the construction of the Annaram, Sundilla and Medigadda barrages under the project.
The Commission examined witnesses and submitted its report to the state government, reportedly holding the former chief minister, the then irrigation minister and two senior officials responsible for irregularities and misuse of public funds. It also noted concerns raised by the National Dam Safety Authority and the Central Water Commission.
The petitioners approached the High Court in September 2025, securing interim protection restraining the state government from acting on the report.
Senior counsel Dama Sheshadri Naidu appeared for KCR, Aryama Sundaram for Harish Rao, Tarun G Reddy for SK Joshi and J Ramchander Rao for Smita Sabharwal.
They argued that the Commission violated the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952 by not issuing notices under Sections 8B and 8C before examining witnesses and preparing findings. The petitioners were issued letters to appear but were not supplied documents or allowed to cross-examine the 119 witnesses examined, counsel said.
They also contended that the state government made the report public through a presentation without placing it before the Legislature.
Senior counsel S Niranjan Reddy, Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Advocate General A Sudershan Reddy represented the state government and defended the Commission’s report.