Telangana High Court Slaps Rs 30 Lakh Fine on Ex-MLA for Concealing German Citizenship

Hyderabad, Dec 9 (NationPress) In a significant setback for former Bharat Rashtra Samithi MLA Chennamaneni Ramesh, the Telangana High Court ruled that he holds German citizenship and imposed a fine of Rs 30 lakh for misrepresenting facts in court for the last 15 years.

Expressing its displeasure towards the former MLA from Vemulawada for concealing his German citizenship by submitting forged documents, the court levied a hefty penalty, instructing him to pay it within a month.

Justice B. Vijayasen Reddy delivered the verdict on a writ petition filed by the BRS leader, who was contesting the cancellation of his Indian citizenship by the Central Government.

The court mandated the former legislator to pay Rs 25 lakh to the current MLA from Vemulawada, Aadi Srinivas of the Congress party, and Rs 5 lakh to the Legal Services Authority.

Ramesh, a four-time MLA from the Vemulawada constituency in the Rajanna Sircilla district of Telangana, has faced controversies regarding his Indian citizenship since 2009 when he first secured a seat as an MLA on a Telugu Desam Party (TDP) ticket.

In 2019, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs issued a notification revoking his Indian citizenship. Ramesh contested this decision in the High Court.

Earlier this year, Additional Solicitor General B. Narasimha Sharma informed the High Court that Ramesh possesses a valid German passport, which has been renewed until 2033.

Citing a report from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, the ASG revealed that Ramesh traveled to Germany three times in 2023 using his German passport.

Aadi Srinivas of the Congress had initially challenged Ramesh’s Indian citizenship in 2009, alleging that he acquired it fraudulently by concealing his German citizenship.

In November 2019, the Home Ministry annulled Ramesh's Indian citizenship on the basis that he had previously held German citizenship and failed to meet the required criteria when applying for Indian citizenship in 2009.

Ramesh moved to Germany for work in the early 1990s and acquired German citizenship in 1993 after surrendering his Indian passport. He returned to India in 2008 and applied for Indian citizenship, which the MHA granted. He won the election from the Vemulawada assembly constituency in the 2009 elections.

According to the Citizenship Act, an applicant for Indian citizenship must be present in India for at least 12 months prior to the application date. However, Srinivas lodged a complaint with the MHA, alleging that Ramesh still held a German passport and traveled to Germany within the 12 months before his Indian citizenship was granted.

A committee formed by the ministry concluded that Ramesh obtained Indian citizenship through fraudulent means, concealing vital information about his overseas travels during the preceding twelve months.

In September 2017, the MHA revoked Ramesh's citizenship. He subsequently filed a review petition with the ministry and later approached the high court, securing a stay order. He then contested the Assembly elections again in December 2018 and was elected from the same constituency for the fourth time.

In the elections held in November 2023, the BRS denied Ramesh a ticket, opting for Lakshmi Narasimha Rao, who ultimately lost to Srinivas of the Congress party.