Preposterous to assume CM would personally handle Twitter to post trivial tweets: Telangana High Court

The Telangana High Court recently refused to direct the police to register a case against Chief Minister (CM) Revanth Reddy for allegedly posting a fake notice related to the closure of hostels and messes at Osmania University in 2023 [Chatari Dashrath v. The State of Telangana]. 

Justice B Vijaysen Reddy said,

"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."

The Court also noted that the alleged notice posted by Reddy had emanated from the Chief Warden of Hostels and Messes, who had forwarded it to the Station House Officer of Osmania University City Police Station.

The order was passed on a petition moved by six students who alleged that the police had failed to register a First Information Report (FIR) against Reddy on their complaint. 

It was stated that boarders of Osmania University had in April protested against the shortage of water and electricity in the hostels. Following this, the Chief Warden had declared closure of the hostels and messes from May 1-31 in accordance with the University’s decision regarding summer vacation. Since the circular issued by the Chief Warden mentioned shortage of water and electricity in the hostels, it had led to a debate in the political circles.

The Court was told that CM Reddy had directed the Registrar of Osmania University to issue a show cause notice to the Chief Warden “for disseminating misleading information thereby causing unnecessary confusion among the University community”.

Later, CM Reddy also shared a similar notice of 2023 about shortage of water and electricity at the University hostels and messes. The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) was in power at that time.

It was submitted that BRS social media convenor Krishank Manne replied to the CM that the notice uploaded by him was not genuine, and posted the “original notice” of May 2023.  

Following Manne’s tweet, the Chief Warden had sent a complaint to the police alleging that the BRS leader had shared a fake circular on Twitter.  Manne was later arrested and is currently on bail. It has been alleged that he had uploaded the 2023 notice by omitting “the acute water and electricity shortage” .

The State told the High Court that the petitioners, being aware of the case registered against Manne and others, have lodged a baseless complaint against the CM as a counter blast. 

The Court was further told that the notice uploaded by CM Reddy had not originated from his office, but had been forwarded by the Chief Warden to the police.

Taking note of the submissions, the Court said that since a case has already been registered by the police, it is for the investigation officer to find out whether the documents are genuine or fake.

“In the light of above discussion, the writ petition is misconceived and accordingly it is dismissed. However, petitioners are always at liberty to invoke appropriate legal remedies available under law,” the Court said.

Advocate M Roopender represented the petitioners.

Additional Advocate General T Rajinikanth Reddy represented the State.

[Read Judgment]