“Not Every Action Of State Can Be Linked To Chief Minister”: Telangana HC Rejects Plea Against Revanth Reddy Over Osmania University Hostel Closure

The Telangana High Court has dismissed a writ petition seeking directions to the Station House Officer of the Osmania University area for registering a crime against Chief Minister Revanth Reddy in an issue surrounding an alleged fabricated Tweet, regarding the closure of the University hostel.

The Bench of Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy heard and disposed of the matter at the stage of admission, today.

The petitioners who are students in the University claimed that following protests on the University campus on 27^th April, the Chief Warden of the University issued a circular on 29^th April declaring summer vacations and closing down the hostels and messes till the 31^st of May.

The Circular, at the bottom noted that 'also due to severe summer there is shortage of water and electricity.”

In the following days, the Circular became a serious subject of debate due to its apparent exposé of the shortage of water and electricity in the city and State; after the head of the BRS party tweeted the notice issued on 29^th April. The Tweet also alleged that the circular depicts the state of affairs surrounding water and electricity in the state.

In light of the outrage, the Chief Minister took to 'X' to state that in the preceding year as well, a similar notice dated 12.05.2023 was issued by the Chief Warden.

Meanwhile, a party member from the opposition party, circulated another version of a circular alleged to have been issued by the University in the preceding year and claimed that the circular posted by the CM was fabricated and false.

It was alleged in the petition that the Tweet made by the CM was “to blame the previous government and to show that the water and electricity shortage was there in the previous year as well.”

Aggrieved by this, the Chief Warden preferred a complaint against the Party Member belonging to the opposite party and an investigation was taken up by the Police.

The Additional Advocate General appearing for the Police Official brought to the notice of the Court the chief warden initiated a complaint against the Member of the BRS party, and that the investigation is still underway. None the less, the petitioners herein were repeatedly forcing the Police Officials to register a case and investigate the matter of the alleged fabricated notice.

The petitioners on the other hand contended an FIR should be registered on the basis of the complaint and investigation may be taken up as per the ratio in the Lalitha Kumari vs. Govt of UP.

The bench after hearing both sides noted “Not every action of the State can be linked back to the Chief Minister. Tomorrow, a beggar will come to court contending that begging was my only income but the Chief Minister asked to clear the road of illegal encroachment, so the Chief Minister is responsible. There is no need for a counter-blast case to be registered, when investigation is already being conducted in the case of the alleged false notice.”

While dismissing the petition, the Bench noted that the petitioners lacked locus and left it open for them to approach the appropriate authority.

Case no.: WP 14445 of 2024

Counsel for petitioners: M Roopender

Counsel for State: Tera Rajnikath Reddy (Addl Advocate Genera) assisting counsel P. Vinayaka Krishna Vardhan