Telangana High Court Seeks Clarity on Ghose Commission Report

The Telangana High Court on Monday asked the State government to clarify whether it had acted upon the PC Ghose Commission report on the Kaleshwaram project or was keeping the matter pending. The division bench, headed by Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice GM Mohinuddin, directed the government to file a response by Tuesday.

The development came after former CM K Chandrashekhar Rao and former Minister T Harish Rao moved petitions challenging the transfer of the Kaleshwaram case to the CBI. They argued that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s unilateral decision in the Assembly violated an earlier undertaking given to the court—that no action would be taken on the Commission report without judicial oversight.

Senior advocates Aryama Sundaram and Dama Shesadri Naidu told the bench that the State had broken its assurance by announcing the CBI transfer at 1 a.m. in the Assembly. They cautioned that the government might soon issue a formal GO unless the court intervened urgently.

Earlier, petitions had already challenged the Commission report, claiming it violated mandatory provisions under the Commissions of Inquiry Act. The court had then refrained from issuing orders, relying on the State’s commitment not to act until the Assembly discussed it.

With urgency mounting, the petitioners sought an immediate stay, arguing that the CM’s midnight declaration undermined judicial authority. The State government, however, requested a week’s time, citing the Advocate General’s unavailability. The court rejected the request and insisted on a response by Tuesday.

The case has now become a critical legal test, not just about Kaleshwaram but also about whether due process and undertakings to the judiciary are being respected by the government.