Telangana HC seeks clarity on Interpol notice against KVP Ramachandra Rao
HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court on Tuesday heard a petition filed by senior Congress leader K. V. P. Ramachandra Rao challenging a Red Corner Notice (RCN) issued by Interpol. The notice relates to a case registered by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the United States over a titanium lease agreement in undivided Andhra Pradesh.
Rao filed the petition in April 2014 before the then Andhra Pradesh High Court. He sought directions to restrain authorities from acting on the notice and a provisional arrest warrant.
On April 28, 2014, the High Court issued an interim order. It directed the Crime Investigation Department (CID) not to act on the notice. The court also included the principal secretaries of the Union ministries of home affairs and external affairs, along with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), as respondents.
Petition dismissed earlier, later restored
The court listed the matter several times in 2025. However, Rao and his counsel did not appear before the bench. Observing that the petitioner was not pursuing the case, the High Court dismissed the petition.
Rao later filed a restoration petition on December 15, 2025. The court accepted the plea and restored the case.
Arguments on jurisdiction and Interpol notice
The case came up for hearing before Justice N. Tukaramji on Tuesday.
CBI counsel T. Srujan Kumar Reddy told the court that the agency only implements such notices. He said the CBI does not issue Red Corner Notices.
According to him, the FBI registered a case in a court in Northern Illinois. The agency alleged that millions of dollars were paid as bribes to central and state government officials. The payments were allegedly made to secure approvals for a titanium mining project.
The CBI said the US District Court issued an arrest warrant on June 21, 2013. Based on this, Interpol issued the Red Corner Notice. However, authorities took no action because the High Court granted an interim stay in 2014.
The CBI also argued that the petition may not be maintainable before the Telangana High Court due to jurisdiction issues.
Defence seeks Union government’s stand
Senior counsel R.N. Hemendranath Reddy and Ch. Satish Kumar represented Rao. They told the court that only the CBI had filed a counter affidavit so far.
They argued that the Union government must clarify its position. According to them, the Centre’s stand would determine the jurisdiction issue.
The defence also said authorities issued the Red Corner Notice without seeking Rao’s explanation.
They added that the events related to the case occurred in undivided Andhra Pradesh. The counsel requested time to argue whether the Telangana High Court has jurisdiction. They also suggested the case could be transferred to the Andhra Pradesh High Court.
After hearing the submissions, the court granted two weeks for further arguments. It also directed the CBI to verify whether the Interpol Red Corner Notice against Rao remains in force.
