Telangana Minister Konda Surekha to face criminal case in KTR defamation suit

Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], August 2 (ANI): The Nampally Court has directed the police to register a criminal case against Telangana Minister Konda Surekha in connection with a defamation complaint filed by BRS Working President and former Minister KT Rama Rao (KTR).
After reviewing preliminary evidence submitted by the complainant, the court observed that there is prima facie material to proceed under Section 356 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and corresponding procedural provisions under the BNSS Sections 222 read with 223.
The court instructed that a criminal case (CC) be registered and a notice be served to the accused on or before August 21, 2025.
The court concurred with the arguments of KTR's counsel, Advocate Siddharth Pogula, who stated that Minister Konda Surekha made baseless and defamatory allegations against KTR in public, all without any factual basis.
Responding to objections raised by Konda Surekha's legal team, the court firmly rejected their contentions that the complaint was speculative or outside jurisdiction. The bench ruled that the court had proper authority to admit the complaint, citing a previous High Court direction (Criminal Petition No 5670/2024).
The court also rejected the defence's arguments concerning 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 that it 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.
Importantly, the court noted that there was no proof that Konda Surekha's controversial statements had already appeared in the media, reinforcing the claim that these specific remarks were made directly by her and could not be dismissed as hearsay or misreporting.
Taking into account the sworn statements of five witnesses (PW1 to PW5) and accompanying documentation, the court concluded that there exists a prima facie case of a punishable offence under BNS provisions and has, therefore, ordered the registration of a criminal case and issuance of notice to Konda Surekha. (ANI)