Justice Narasimha Reddy steps down from Telangana Power Inquiry Commission following Supreme Court remarks
Hyderabad: Justice (Retired) L Narasimha Reddy has resigned from his position as the head of the Commission of Inquiry established by the Telangana Government to investigate alleged irregularities in power procurement during the tenure of former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao (KCR). This decision came after the Supreme Court expressed concerns regarding Justice Reddy’s public statements, which suggested he might have pre-judged the matter.
The Supreme Court was reviewing KCR’s petition against a notification from the Congress-led Government in March, which formed the Commission. KCR had previously challenged this formation in the Telangana High Court, which dismissed his plea on July 2.
During the proceedings, Senior Advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, representing Justice Reddy, announced the former judge’s intention to resign. The bench, which included Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardiwala, and Justice Manoj Misra, noted this development and concluded KCR’s petition.
The Commission of Inquiry was tasked with investigating allegations of misconduct related to power procurement under KCR’s administration from 2014 to 2023. Chief Justice Chandrachud highlighted concerns regarding procedural fairness and the necessity for the inquiry’s integrity to be maintained, stating, “It is a little untoward for a person who is a judge to make observations on the issue’s merits.” He emphasized the importance of justice being perceived as fair and suggested appointing a different judge to lead the inquiry.
Senior Advocate Dr. Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing the State, mentioned that KCR had been issued a notice on April 11 but sought an extension for his response until the end of June, which the Commission allowed until June 15. Justice Reddy’s counsel argued that claims of bias against him were unfounded, asserting that he had merely reported KCR’s request for additional time without expressing any prejudgment.
