The Special Judicial Magistrate of First Class at Nampally Court on Saturday, August 2, directed the Hyderabad police to register a criminal defamation case against Telangana Forest Minister Konda Surekha, in connection with a petition filed by BRS working president and former Minister KT Rama Rao (KTR).
The court ordered that a criminal case (CC) be registered and a notice be served to Konda Surekha on or before August 21, 2025.
In October last year, KTR had filed a Rs 100 crore defamation case under Section 222 read with Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) against Konda Surekha for her defamatory remarks.
KTR’s counsel argued that Minister Konda Surekha made baseless and defamatory allegations against his client in public, without any factual basis. The court concurred with the arguments of KTR’s counsel.
According to reports, the court found sufficient grounds to proceed under Section 356 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which addresses criminal defamation, in conjunction with the procedural provisions under Sections 222 and 223.
The court rejected the objections raised by Konda Surekha’s legal team. The bench reportedly ruled that the court had the proper authority to admit the complaint, citing a previous High Court direction (Criminal Petition No. 5670/2024).
The court also dismissed the defence’s arguments regarding the admissibility of a pen drive submitted as evidence, stating that the requirement of a Section 65-B certificate under the Indian Evidence Act was premature at this stage and could be addressed during the trial phase.
The court held that the electronic material in question would be evaluated according to legal procedure when the case reaches the evidence stage, The Hindu reported.
Responding to the court’s directive, KTR wrote: “Truth will always come out. If not immediately, eventually! Power doesn’t absolve you of your nonsensical tirades and abuse of character. Power doesn’t give you the right to drag people’s lives through filth!
Being in power is an opportunity to serve the public… not to rumour-monger and sling dirt on opponents. I hope this serves as a lesson to everyone who thinks they can get away with spewing venom in the name of politics. It is a long battle and we are only halfway through. But we will keep fighting!”