Telangana High Court Quashes Case Against KTR Over Drone Use at Medigadda Barrage
The Telangana High Court has dismissed a case filed against BRS working president and Sircilla MLA KT Rama Rao, relating to the use of a drone over the Medigadda barrage in June 2023.
Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court has dismissed a case filed against BRS working president and Sircilla MLA KT Rama Rao, relating to the use of a drone over the Medigadda barrage in June 2023. The court’s decision came after hearing arguments presented by both sides, ultimately ruling that the case lacked merit.
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Case Background: Drone Video Over Medigadda Barrage
The controversy arose when KTR and other BRS leaders visited the Medigadda barrage in Mahadevpur mandal of Bhupalpally district. During the visit, drone footage of the barrage was captured and widely circulated on social media platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, and X. The BRS leaders had claimed the barrage remained intact and accused the Congress government of politicizing the issue by alleging collapse due to corruption.
Following this, irrigation department officials filed a complaint with the Mahadevpur police, stating that drone activity was carried out without prior permission and posed a security risk to the dam. Based on this complaint, police booked a case against KTR, Mancherial MP Balka Suman, Bhupalpally MLA Gandra Venkataramana Reddy, and several others.
KTR’s Legal Challenge and Court’s Ruling
KT Rama Rao challenged the case in the Telangana High Court, arguing through his counsel, senior advocate T.V. Ramana Rao, that the barrage was not a restricted area and that the FIR was politically motivated. He insisted the case lacked any substantial evidence and was a result of political vendetta.
During Monday’s hearing, the public prosecutor maintained that flying a drone near a dam could endanger its safety. However, after reviewing the arguments, the court ruled in favor of KTR and quashed the case.
Political Context
The case gained prominence amid the Congress government’s accusations that the Medigadda barrage was structurally compromised, pointing to it as proof of alleged BRS corruption. The viral drone footage and BRS’s claims challenging the government’s narrative intensified the political debate.
With the High Court now dismissing the case, the legal pressure on KTR and his party colleagues has eased, even as the political tussle over Medigadda continues.
