Telangana HC stays FIR against KTR over Medigadda drone row

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court has stayed the arrest of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leaders KT Rama Rao (KTR), Gandra Venkata Ramana Reddy, and Balka Suman in a case related to the alleged use of a drone camera over the Medigadda barrage.

The case was filed by an irrigation department engineer against the three BRS leaders for allegedly flying a drone on July 26 over the barrage to record visuals.

The HC has now issued notices to the state and the complainant, seeking their response to the BRS leaders’ petition to quash the FIR.

Appearing for the BRS leaders, counsel TV Ramana Rao argued that the FIR was politically motivated.

He stated that the BRS delegation visited the dam to show the public that the state was creating an artificial shortage for farmers during the kharif season by not lifting water from Medigadda, which is part of the Kaleshwaram project.

Rao claimed that the petitioners had nothing to do with the visuals of the dam being shown by the complainant.

The HC has stayed the arrest of the BRS leaders until further orders.

“The complaint filed by the irrigation department does not contain sufficient evidence to establish a case against the petitioners,” he stated.

While staying the FIR, Justice K Lakshman remarked that it lacked adequate material to form a case and that the issue needed further examination.