HC issues notice to KTR in petition challenging his election

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court’s single bench of Justice Namavarapu Rajeshwar Rao on Friday issued notices to MLA K. Tarakarama Rao (KTR), Telangana Chief Electoral Officer, Returning Officer-cum-RDO, Sircilla-29 AC and others in the two election petitions challenging his election and adjourned the hearing for filing counter- affidavits by four weeks.

K K Mahender Reddy, advocate, and Lagishetti Srinivas, both hailing from Rajanna Sircilla district, filed separate EPs, challenging KTR’s election on ground that in his election affidavit he has deliberately informed the Election Commission that his son K. Himanshu Rao is not dependent on him and declared his wife and minor daughter as only dependents and excluded his son from the list of dependents.

Himanshu, as on July 12, 2023, was a major and purchased four acres of agricultural land in Shivaru Venkatapur village, Markook mandal, Siddipet, and 32.3650 acres in Yerraballi (v) Markook (m) Siddipet by paying Rs. 10,50,000 and Rs. 88,15,500 respectively.

‘It is not known how he had earned such a huge amount to purchase lands worth lakhs, without there being any link to his father, whose information was not furnished in the affidavit’, contended the counsel for the petitioner.

The petitioner said KTR has suppressed this information in his election affidavit, which falls under the category of corrupt practices U/s. 123 of the Representation of People Act, 1951, and amounts to violation as per the SC judgment in Rukmini Made Gowda Vs., State Election Commission and others.

Mahender Reddy had contested on a Congress ticket in the Sircilla Assembly election held on November 30, 2023, and secured 59,557 votes, which is highest amongst the other candidates, whereas KTR got 89,244 votes; Reddy lost to KTR.

Hearing in 2 PILs seeking CBI probe unto allotment of govt land to IMG Bharata adjourned to July 2

On Friday the HC division bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Jukanti Anil Kumar heard two PILs filed by T Sriranga Rao, advocate from Hyderabad, seeking a direction to the CBI to probe the allotment of 850 acres of precious government land by the then AP government to IMG Academies Bharata Pvt Ltd in a non-transparent manner at a very less cost to build, develop, own and operate sports academies. Devadatt Kumar, senior counsel, representing the then Sports Minister who was instrumental in the allotment of land to IMG Bharata, filed an implead petition in the PILs and prayed the court to hear his petition. The bench agreed to hear the petition and adjourned the PILs to July 2.

On March 7 this year the CJ bench had dismissed the writ filed by IMG Bharata claiming ownership of 850 acres on ground of executing sale deeds on its name and rejected its claim and restored the land to the government. The order of the bench was challenged by IMG Bharata in the SC. On Friday the court was informed that the SLP preferred by IMG Bharata had been dismissed on May 7, 2024.