Telangana HC Suspends Judge For Ordering FIR Against CEC Rajiv Kumar

The Telangana High Court has recently suspended special sessions judge in relation to a “directive” issued by the judge to the police for mandating the registration of an FIR against Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and multiple other individuals.

The court has asserted that the judge’s actions were executed with “undue haste”.

Official sources in Hyderabad, alongside individuals privy to the developments in Delhi, have confirmed that the suspension was initiated on administrative grounds against K Jaya Kumar, the judge of special sessions court for trial of MPs/MLAs, after a complaint was lodged with the high court by a senior official of the Election Commission.

The high court stated, based on a private complaint filed under Section 200 of the CrPC by Raghavendra Raju, the judicial officer “acted in undue haste” without conducting any preliminary enquiry without recording the statement of the complainant.

Consequently, a significant procedural lapse was observed in the manner in which the judicial officer discharged their responsibilities. This observation was noted by referring to the order issued by the high court on the administrative side.

On August 11, an FIR was registered against Telangana Excise Minister V Srinivas Goud, CEC Kumar, and a host of other officials after being referred by the sessions court for allegedly “tampering” Goud’s 2018 state assembly election affidavit.

The sessions court acted upon a private complaint which contended that Goud, MLA in Mahabubnagar, manipulated the contents of the election affidavit by suppressing facts.

While Goud was identified as the primary accused in the case, Chief Election Commissioner Kumar and several other officials were named as co-accused. The complainant alleged that they colluded with the minister and prematurely concluded the investigation into the election affidavit without pursuing further actions.

The sources stated citing the order, the judicial officer in question was suspended by the high court, acting within the framework of the Telangana Civil Services Rules, 1991, “in the larger public interest.”