The Telangana High Court single bench of Justice Anil Kumar Jukanti on Tuesday disposed of the criminal petition filed by Minister Duddilla Sridhar Babu, seeking to quash a criminal case registered against him and over 300 others in 2017.

The case, registered as FIR 162/2017 at Basantnagar police station, Peddapalli district, pertained to alleged offences under Sections 147, 353, 427 read with 149 of the IPC. The charges stemmed from an incident during a public hearing on the “Kaleshwaram Irrigation Project” held at Reddy Functional Hall, Raghavapuram, Peddapalli, where the accused allegedly created obstacles for officials on duty.

According to the complaint, Sridhar Babu and others, including Harkare Venugopal Rao, Kotha Srinivas, Kranthi, Polu Shiva, Uppath Srinivas, raised slogans against the then Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, threw chairs, and disrupted proceedings during the hearing.

Public Prosecutor Palle Nageshwar Rao informed the court that a chargesheet had been filed in the lower court under Section 186 IPC; the petitioner, who was named A-1, had already been acquitted. Considering the submission that the case against the petitioner was closed in the lower court, Justice Jukanti disposed of the petition.

The disposal of the petition effectively brings an end to the long-pending case that originated from the hearing protests over the Kaleshwaram project.

Court closes BL Santosh’s criminal petition in BRS MLAs poaching case

The HC on Tuesday closed the criminal petition filed by BJP general secretary BL Santosh, and two others seeking quash of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) notice issued under Section 41 A of the Code of Criminal Procedure in crime 455/2022 of Moinabad police station.

The single judge bench of Justice Jukanti Anil Kumar observed that since the investigation into the alleged BRS MLAs poaching case has already been transferred to the CBI, the petition stands closed.

The case stems from allegations that BJP leaders attempted to poach BRS legislators in 2022. The BRS government subsequently constituted a SIT to probe the issue and summoned several individuals, including Santosh. Despite being served notice--dated November 23-- he had not appeared before the team, but secured interim orders from the HC restraining his arrest.

Meanwhile, another writ had been filed by Gujjala Premender Reddy, BJP general secretary from Hanumakonda, seeking transfer of the investigation to CBI.

PP Rao told the court that the case had already been handed over to the central agency and that the SIT notice to Santosh was under stay.

Taking note of the submissions, Justice Kumar closed the petition. Earlier, on November 25, Justice K. Surender had stayed the SIT notice to Santosh; on December 26, Justice B Vijaysen Reddy directed the CBI to investigate the case registered by the Moinabad police.