Telangana HC defers verdict over P.C. Ghose Commission report to April 22

The Telangana High Court on Wednesday (April 8, 2026) adjourned to April 22 the pronouncement of verdict in the batch of four writ petitions, including one filed by former Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, seeking directions to set aside the P.C. Ghose Commission report which indicted him in execution of Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS) project.

The State government led by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy issued G.O. Ms. No. 6 on March 14 of 2024, within three months of coming to power defeating the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) party in the Assembly elections, constituting the Commission of Inquiry with former judge of the Supreme Court of India, Justice P.C. Ghose, to probe into the alleged irregularities in the execution of the Kaleshwawram project. The allegations were levelled with specific reference to negligence, irregularities and lacunae in planning, designing and construction of Medigadda, Annarm and Sundialla barrages. 

They were part of the integral components of the KLIS. On July 31, 2025, the Commission of Inquiry submitted its report to the governmentindicting the former Chief Minister KCR, his former cabinet colleague T. Harish Rao, retired IAS officer S.K. Joshi (who was Chief Secretary during the stint of KCR as Chief Minister) and serving IAS officer Smitha Sabharwal — who served in the Chief Minister’s office then.

Soon after the report was submitted and tabled on the floor of the Assembly, KCR and the other three filed separate writ petitions in the High Court seeking directions to set aside the Commission report and declare the constitution of the Commission itself as illegal and arbitrary. 

After hearing the prolonged contentions of the counsels of the petitioners and the government, the bench comprising Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice G.M. Mohiuddin reserved the orders to declare the judgement on Wednesday. The bench adjourned the pronouncement of the verdict to April 22.