Telangana High Court Dismisses Drone Case Against CM Revanth Reddy
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Synopsis
The Telangana High Court has quashed a 2020 case against Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy for flying a drone unlawfully over a farmhouse. The court determined the charges did not hold legal merit, leading to the dismissal of the case.
Key Takeaways
- Telangana High Court dismissed the case against CM Revanth Reddy.
- Revanth Reddy was accused of using a drone without permission.
- The case stemmed from allegations of unlawful construction by K.T. Rama Rao.
- Revanth Reddy spent 20 days in jail before being bailed out.
- High Court also quashed a case against BRS leader KTR.
Hyderabad, March 19 (NationPress) The Telangana High Court on Wednesday dismissed a case filed against Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy in 2020 for operating a drone without authorization to capture images of a farmhouse located at Janwada near Hyderabad.
The case was initiated against Revanth Reddy in March 2020 while he was serving as the MP from Malkajgiri. He had been arrested for using a drone over the farmhouse allegedly owned by BRS Working President K.T. Rama Rao, who was a state minister at the time.
Revanth Reddy had rented a drone for a photoshoot to support his claims that K.T. Rama Rao constructed the farmhouse in breach of governmental regulations.
The Narsingi police of Cyberabad registered a case against him on March 4, 2020, under several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 184 (obstructing property sale by public authority), 187 (failure to assist a public servant), and 287 (unauthorized drone operation), along with a charge of criminal conspiracy under Section 120.
Revanth Reddy spent 20 days in prison before being released on bail by the court.
The Chief Minister filed a petition in the High Court to dismiss the criminal charges against him. His lawyer, S. Niranjan Reddy, argued that Janwada is not a restricted area and maintained that the charges did not meet the necessary legal criteria.
Recently, the High Court instructed the Public Prosecutor for Home to submit a counter affidavit in response to the petition.
Additionally, the High Court has dismissed a case against BRS leader Rama Rao for allegedly making derogatory comments about Chief Minister Revanth Reddy.
The Saifabad police of Hyderabad filed a case in August last year following a complaint from Rajya Sabha MP Anil Kumar Yadav, alleging that the BRS leader had used offensive language against the Chief Minister.
KTR, as the BRS leader is commonly known, sought the High Court's intervention to quash the case.
During the hearing, the Public Prosecutor asserted that KTR, in his prominent role, had used inappropriate language against the Chief Minister.
However, KTR’s counsel, T. V. Ramanarao, contended that the claims were unfounded and politically driven, urging the court to dismiss the FIR.
After considering arguments from both parties, the court quashed the FIR.
