KTR Issues Legal Notice to Eenadu Over Passport Impounding Report

K.T. Rama Rao, the working president of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and former Telangana minister, has sent a legal notice to Eenadu Telugu Daily, challenging its report on the alleged impounding of his passport in the Formula E race case. The notice, dated September 30 and issued by advocate N. Lalitha Reddy, targets a September 29 article that claimed a Special Court had ordered KTR's passport to be temporarily seized.

According to the legal notice, the Eenadu report's headline gave the impression that the court had already issued an order for the impounding of KTR's passport. However, the notice clarifies that the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Investigation Officer had only filed a memo before the Principal Special Judge for SPE and ACB Cases in Hyderabad, seeking directions regarding the passports as part of ongoing investigations. The memo, as stated in the notice, was a request from the investigating agency and not a judicial directive.

The legal notice further points to a show-cause notice issued by the Regional Passport Office on September 28, which sought KTR's explanation based on the ACB's report and mentioned possible action under the Passports Act. This, the notice argues, indicates that the matter was still at the show-cause stage and not subject to any court-ordered impounding.

KTR has demanded that Eenadu withdraw the report, publish a correction with equal prominence, and issue an unconditional apology. The notice also requests the removal of the report from all digital platforms and asks the publication to disclose the sources and editorial checks behind the use of the word "order" in its headline. Eenadu has been given 48 hours to comply, after which KTR reserves the right to pursue civil, criminal, and Press Council actions.