HC orders Dubbaka BJP MP Raghunandan to face trial in 2023 elections case

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Thursday ordered Dubbaka BJP MP M Raghunandan Rao to face trial for allegedly obstructing the police from doing their work during the Assembly Elections in 2023.

However, the HC Single Bench comprising Justice Kunuru Lakshman gave liberty to the petitioner to avail all legal remedies at the Special Judicial Magistrate of First Class for trial of cases relating to MPs and MLAs at Hyderabad.

According to the case, the MP was booked for illegally barging into the Dubbaka Police Station on November 30, 2023, at 11 am, raising slogans saying ‘Police Down Down!’ and stopping the police from performing their duties. The following actions are even more serious considering there is a Section 144 in vogue for State Assembly Elections.

The Judge, while dismissing the criminal petition filed by MP Raghunandan Rao and others, seeking quashing of the criminal case, said, “Prima Facie, there are specific allegations against the petitioner, which clearly speak of the petitioner being present on the day of the offence. The acts of the petitioner and 34 others are in violation of the Election Code. They entered the Dubbaka Police Station illegally and created a law and order issue till 3 pm. Therefore, the court is not inclined to quash the criminal case registered against the petitioner.”

The judge further observed that due to the acts of the petitioner and other party workers, additional force from other police stations had to be deployed to bring the situation under control in view of the election code in vogue.