The Telangana High Court on Tuesday issued notices to the state government while hearing a petition filed by former Rajya Sabha MP KVP Ramachander Rao. The petition challenges a red corner notice issued against him in 2014 in connection with an alleged bribery case pending in a United States court.
During the hearing before a bench of Justice N Tukaramji, CBI counsel T Srujan Kumar Reddy informed the court that the Central Bureau of Investigation had already filed its counters as instructed earlier. The petitioner's counsel stated that a separate petition had been filed to implead the state of Telangana as a party in the case.
Counsel representing the state objected to the impleadment petition and opposed it. The state's counsel also requested additional time to file a detailed counter affidavit. Taking note of the submissions, the court adjourned the matter to June 17, granting Telangana time to file its counter.
Background of the Case
The red corner notice was issued by Interpol in 2014 following a provisional arrest warrant from a US court in 2013. The case pertains to an alleged bribery scheme involving a titanium project. The Federal Bureau of Investigation registered the case before the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, alleging that $18.5 million (approximately Rs 153.6 crore) was paid as bribes to government officials to secure approvals for the project.
Rao had earlier approached the then Andhra Pradesh High Court in 2014 challenging the red corner notice. The court granted an interim stay in 2015, which has remained in force since then. It also directed the Crime Investigation Department not to take further action against him in connection with the notice. The petition, pending for over a decade, came up for hearing in March this year.
The case continues to be closely watched as it involves international legal dimensions and allegations of high-level corruption.
