Hyderabad: Retired Justice L Narasimha Reddy, who is heading the commission of inquiry on alleged irregularities in the power sector during the BRS regime, resigned from the post on Tuesday, July 16. His decision comes after the Supreme Court‘s oral disapproval of his public statements through a press conference.
Former chief minister K Chandrashekhar Rao filed a plea before the Supreme Court bench challenging the appointment of a fact-finding committee to look into executive actions taken by him during his term as chief minister.
Hearing the plea, a three-judge bench asked the Telangana Government to suggest a substitute name in place of the present head of the commission probing alleged irregularities in power procurement during the BRS regime.
The bench led by the Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, on Tuesday took exception to a public statement issued by Justice Reddy in a press conference on June 11 this year where he said he was going to probe the loss faced by the Telangana government due to the actions of former chief minister without concluding his fact-finding inquiry.
The Chief Justice of India said, “Justice must not only be done but also seen to be done and the retired judge had by holding a press conference on June 11 transgressed the line. We want you to replace the judge.”
The Chief Justice of India also added that the retired judge should not have made such public statements and the impact of the report of the commission of inquiry is that it affects the reputation of a person.
Sensing that adverse orders impacting the commission of inquiry may be passed by the Supreme Court, the Telangana government advocate unilaterally agreed to change the judge heading the fact-finding commission.
Meanwhile, Justice Narsimha Reddy informed that the press briefing was being done by the commission as the media was reporting as per “their imagination” of the proceedings. Hence, to put an end to that he held a conference to apprise the media persons about the contours of enquiry and the progress made till then.
“The last thing for a judge or for that matter, a former judge, to assert would be that he is not biased. The day such necessity arises the very office would lose its sheen. As a gesture to uphold the dignity of the judicial fraternity, I hereby express my view that I do not intend to continue as the commission,” he stated.
In March 2024, the newly formed Congress government led by chief minister Revanth Reddy constituted a fact-finding committee headed by retired judge L Narasimha Reddy to probe the power purchase agreement between the Telangana government and the Chhattisgarh government and the construction of power projects at Yadadri and Bhadradri.
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