KTR was accused of instigating two individuals to forcibly enter the site, fly a drone without official clearance, and release the footage online.
Published Apr 22, 2025 | 5:17 PM ⚊ Updated Apr 22, 2025 | 5:56 PM
Synopsis: The Telangana High Court has quashed a case against BRS leader KT Rama Rao over allegations that a drone was flown without clearance at the Medigadda Barrage. The court noted that police had not followed correct legal procedures and described the case as an abuse of the legal process.
The Telangana High Court on Monday, 21 April, quashed a FIR against Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Working President KT Rama Rao over allegations that a drone was flown without permission over the Medigadda Barrage in July 2024, LiveLaw reported.
A single-judge bench comprising by Justice K Lakshman held that the case was procedurally flawed and constituted an abuse of the legal process.
“It further held that the proceedings shall not be continued due to the technical defect of obtaining prior permission under Section 155(2) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and taking cognisance of the complaint filed by the Village Revenue Officer (VRO), which is against the purport of Section 195(1)(a) of the CrPC. In the present case, the Investigating Officer did not follow the aforesaid procedure while registering the aforesaid crime,” the court said, according to LiveLaw.
“Thus, the proceedings against the petitioners for the offence under Section 223(b) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) are liable to be quashed.”
KTR was accused of instigating two individuals to forcibly enter the site, fly a drone without official clearance, and release the footage online.
Three days after the incident, he was booked under Section 223(b) (disobedience of a public servant’s order which causes or tends to cause danger to human life, health or safety, or causes or tends to cause a riot or affray) read with Section 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Section 3 (penalties for spying) and Section 7 (interfering with officers of the police or members of the Armed Forces of the Union) of the Official Secrets Act, and Section 10A (adjudication of penalties) of the Aircraft Act.
The prosecution argued that the act posed a threat to critical infrastructure and violated multiple laws, including the Official Secrets Act and the Aircraft Act.
However, the court noted that while the Medigadda Barrage was listed as a vital installation under a Telangana government order, it had not been declared a “prohibited place” by the Central government under the Official Secrets Act.
The judge also held that the Investigating Officer had wrongly invoked Section 10A of the Aircraft Act, which pertains to penalties and falls under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Central government.
The court further questioned the delay of more than three days in filing the FIR, finding the explanation offered by the complainant – that he had noticed the visuals on electronic media and later informed superiors – to be “unsatisfactory”.
“In the light of the aforesaid discussion, continuation of the proceedings against the petitioners in Crime No.118 of 2024 of Mahadevpur Police Station is an abuse of process of law and, therefore, the same are liable to be quashed. Thus, with that observation, the FIR was quashed,” the court said, according to LiveLaw.
On 26 July 2024, KT Rama Rao and other BRS leaders visited the Medigadda Barrage, the starting point of the controversial Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP) on the Godavari river.
In October 2023, a portion of the barrage collapsed, damaging adjacent piers and the parapet wall. A subsequent inquires cited serious deficiencies in planning, design, and quality control.
In February 2024, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) released a report deeming the KLIP economically unviable from inception.
Following this, the BRS came under mounting criticism from the ruling Congress, which alleged mismanagement of the project.
KT Rama Rao’s visit was seen as a political rebuttal to these allegations. During the trip, BRS members allegedly operated a drone to capture footage of the barrage without authorisation, later sharing it on social media. A few days later, Assistant Executive Engineer Vali Shaik lodged a police complaint, citing a potential threat to the security of the infrastructure.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
