The Telangana High Court recently declined to direct the police to register a case against Chief Minister Revanth Reddy.

The allegations against the Chief Minister stemmed from an incident involving the posting of a purported fake notice related to the closure of hostels and messes at Osmania University in 2023.

The petition was filed by six students who claimed that their complaint against the Chief Minister for posting the fake notice had not resulted in the police registering a First Information Report (FIR). The students argued that the notice in question, which suggested closure due to water and electricity shortages, had caused confusion and controversy among the university community.

A Bench of Justice B Vijaysen Reddy said, “It is relevant to note that the documents produced by the learned Additional Advocate General makes it amply clear that the alleged fake notice emanated from the Chief Warden. Moreover, it is preposterous to assume that the Chief Minister of the State (respondent No.6) would personally handle twitter for posting trivial and casual tweets

Advocate M Roopender appeared for the petitioners, while Additional Advocate General T Rajinikanth Reddy appeared for the Respondents.

It was brought to the court's attention that following protests at Osmania University regarding water and electricity shortages in April, the Chief Warden had issued a circular declaring the closure of hostels and messes for the month of May, which was during the university's summer vacation period. This action by the Chief Warden had sparked a political debate.

Additionally, the Court noted that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy had directed the university's registrar to issue a show cause notice to the Chief Warden for allegedly spreading misleading information. Later, the Chief Minister shared a similar notice on social media, prompting further controversy.

The State informed the court that a case had already been registered against another individual, for allegedly sharing a fake circular related to the incident on Twitter.

The High Court ultimately dismissed the petition filed by the students, stating that since the police had already registered a case in relation to the incident, it was now up to the investigating officer to ascertain the authenticity of the documents in question.

The Court deemed the petition misconceived but granted the petitioners the liberty to pursue appropriate legal remedies available to them.

Cause Title: Chatari Dashrath v. The State of Telangana

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