The Telangana High Court on Monday extended its interim protection for Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) chief and former Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR), former irrigation minister T Harish Rao, and other senior bureaucrats, shielding them from any coercive action based on the findings of the judicial commission probing the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP).
A division bench led by Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice G.M. Mohiuddin adjourned the matter to February 25 and allowed time for filing of written submissions. The bench continued the interim relief granted earlier to the petitioners, which restrains the state government from acting upon the commission’s report pending final adjudication.
The judicial commission, headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice P.C. Ghose, was constituted by the Revanth Reddy-led Congress government to probe alleged irregularities in the construction and execution of KLIP, a flagship project undertaken during the BRS regime.
The commission submitted its report to the state government, which was tabled in the assembly in August 2025. In the report, Justice Ghose held KCR “accountable” for several irregularities in the project’s construction and operations. The report also flagged the role of Harish Rao—who held the irrigation portfolio during the BRS tenure—and senior bureaucrats including former Chief Secretary Shailendra Kumar Joshi and IAS officer Smita Sabharwal.
Following a legislative discussion, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy announced the government’s decision to refer the matter to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for a detailed probe.
KCR, Harish Rao, and the others named in the commission report moved the High Court in November last year, seeking quashing of the commission’s findings. In his petition, KCR termed the appointment of the commission “illegal, unconstitutional and ultra vires,” and sought to declare its July 31, 2025 report as “malafide” and in violation of the principles of natural justice.
The former CM further alleged that the state government’s repeated publication and use of the commission’s report, without providing him a fair hearing or due process, was a premeditated move to defame and target him politically.
The High Court had earlier granted them interim protection from any adverse action and directed the state to file its counter-affidavits. The state government was given four weeks to respond, with three additional weeks for the petitioners to file their replies.
With Monday’s adjournment, the court has allowed more time for the parties to submit written arguments. The interim order protecting the petitioners will remain in force until the next hearing.
