Justice K. Lakshman of Telangana High Court on Monday reserved orders in a criminal petition filed by former Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and former Minister T. Harish Rao seeking a direction to quash an order issued by a court in Jayashankar Bhupalpally district to appear before it in a case of private complaint. 

The complainant in that case, Nagavelli Rajalingampurthy was recently murdered by some persons triggering political allegations and counter allegations. During the previous hearing, the judge stated that the criminal petition had become infructuous. It was not maintainable since the de facto complainant was murdered, the judge said. 

However, Public Prosecutor for Home Palle Nageshwar Rao cited some verdicts of the Supreme Court arguing that investigation into a case can be continued even if the complainant died. The counsel of the former CM and former Minister submitted to the courts that those verdicts cannot be applied to the present matter. 

Rajalingamurthy lodged the private complaint alleging that crores of rupees were swindled during construction of Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme during the stint of KCR as Chief Minister and T. Harish Rao, who was then a Cabinet Minister. After hearing the private complaint, the Principal Sessions Judge of Jayashankar Bhupalpally district passed an order for the appearance of both KCR and T. Harish Rao in the matter. 

Challenging the district court order, KCR and Harish Rao moved the HC by way of criminal petition.