BRS leader KT Rama Rao files criminal defamation case against Telangana Min Surekha

HYDERABAD: BRS working president KT Rama Rao on Thursday filed a criminal defamation case in the Nampally court against endowments minister Konda Surekha for making “baseless and malicious” statements aimed at tarnishing his reputation.

The minister had recently linked Rama Rao to the divorce of actors Akkineni Naga Chaitanya and Samantha.

It may be recalled here that Rama Rao recently sent a legal notice to Konda Surekha asking her to publicly apologize for her defamatory statements.

The BRS leader filed a criminal defamation case against Surekha as he felt she had not retracted her comments.

In his plea, Rama Rao said that Surekha’s actions should not go unchecked as they not only caused personal harm but also undermined his reputation.

The former minister stressed that this was not the first time that Surekha had committed such defamatory acts. He reminded the court that Surekha had previously been reprimanded by the Election Commission of India for similar baseless statements.

“Surekha’s repeated breaches of decorum reflect a deliberate attempt to tarnish my reputation through a pattern of malicious behavior,” Rama Rao said.

The BRS working president also pointed out that their repeated, deliberate and defamatory statements were not isolated incidents but part of a larger, orchestrated effort to tarnish his image and reputation. He stressed that these actions should be considered criminal offenses under defamation laws.

“Surekha made the comments with… malice, with an intention to tarnish his personal and professional reputation. These defamatory statements were not just political jibes but calculated attempts to tarnish KTR’s image in the eyes of the public. By filing this lawsuit, KTR wants to take responsibility for such misconduct and deter future malicious campaigns, said the petition filed by Rama Rao’s lawyer.

“The defendant has a tendency to make false statements prematurely without being verified on public platforms. The accused has committed the offense of defamation punishable under Section 356 of the BNS,” it added.

Meanwhile, the Nampally court recorded the statement of the second witness in another defamation case filed by veteran actor Akkineni Nagarjuna against Konda Surekha. The court has scheduled another hearing for October 14.