As the judicial inquiry into the alleged corruption and lapses in the construction of the Kaleshwaram irrigation project on the Godavari River in Telangana reaches its final stages, all eyes are on whether Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) president and former Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) will appear before the commission.
The judicial commission, headed by retired Supreme Court judge Justice P C Ghose and appointed by the Congress-led state government, has already begun its investigation and questioned several officials.
Originally, the commission’s tenure was scheduled to end in May. However, the government has now extended it by another two months, until July 31 — an unexpected move that has drawn attention.
Sources suggest the commission is considering submitting its final report only after questioning KCR, who is believed to have played a key role in the project.
Initially, the panel planned to base its findings solely on the documents received, without directly questioning KCR or former ministers such as Harish Rao and Etela Rajender.
However, legal norms require that any individual likely to face allegations must be given an opportunity to present their side.
Accordingly, the commission has reportedly decided to summon KCR for questioning and record his statement.
Sources indicate that KCR may soon receive formal summons. But whether the BRS chief will comply remains uncertain, as he reportedly views such summons as beneath his stature and considers the very idea of being questioned by a commission an insult.
A similar scenario unfolded during the inquiry into power purchases from Chhattisgarh and the construction of the Yadadri and Bhadradri thermal power plants.
At that time, Justice L Narasimha Reddy had summoned KCR for questioning. In response, KCR approached the court, accusing Justice Reddy of prematurely casting aspersions on him.
The Supreme Court took exception to Reddy’s conduct, relieved him of the investigation, and transferred the case to Justice Madan B Lokur.
Interestingly, Justice Lokur accepted a written explanation from KCR defending the power projects, treating the letter as his official response, without summoning him for questioning.
Now, Justice Ghose’s commission appears to be taking a similar route — seeking KCR’s explanation before drawing any conclusions.
Whether KCR will appear in person or, as in the past, submit a letter in his defense remains to be seen.
