Defamatory remarks case: Telangana HC dispenses with appearance of CM Revanth

Hyderabad: Telangana High Court has exempted Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy from personal appearance at the court of Principal Special Judicial First Class Magistrate for Excise Cases in Hyderabad in 2023 cases.

CM Revanth had moved the High Court, praying for the quashing of two First Information Reports registered against him in the Jayashankar Bhupalapally district in 2023.

The FIR No. 41/2023 was registered at Police Station Mogulapally, and FIR No. 100/2023 was registered at Police Station Bhupalapally, under section 504 and 505 (2) of the Indian Penal Code.

The de facto complainant in both cases is Gandra Venkata Ramana Reddy, a former Member of the Legislative Assembly from Bhupalapally and a member of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi.

On March 3 2023, the complaints were filed at two separate police stations with substantially identical content. They alleged that Revanth Reddy, at a public meeting held on February 22, 2023, in Bhupalapally district, made defamatory and demeaning statements against the complainant.

The complainant alleged that Revanth Reddy publicly characterised him as a land grabber, accused him of involvement in petrol and sand pilferage, and alleged his complicity in the misappropriation of funds belonging to the Singareni Collieries Company Limited.

He alleged that the speech was covered by both print and electronic media. The FIRs were registered at a time when Revanth Reddy was the Member of Parliament and President of the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee.

During Thursday's hearing, Justice Kalasikam Sujana directed the state government to file its counter-affidavit in response to both criminal petitions.

The court further dispensed with the personal appearance of A. Revanth Reddy, Chief Minister, before the Principal Special Judicial First Class Magistrate for Excise Cases at Hyderabad. Both petitions were consequently adjourned to March 5 2026, for further hearing.

The court, however, declined the prayer made by the petitioner's counsel, Bala Mohan Reddy, seeking a stay of all further proceedings, including the requirement of the petitioner's appearance before the lower court.

It is to be noted that on February 5 2026, Justice Kalasikam Sujana issued notices to the state government and to the de facto complainant, Gandra Venkata Ramana Reddy, directing the filing of replies to the said notices.

The matter was adjourned to March 3.