HC restrains police from taking coercive action against BRS leader Rama Rao’s kin in drugs case

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Monday restrained the police from taking coercive steps against Raj Pakala, brother-in-law of BRS working president K T Rama Rao, in a case registered against him following a raid at his farmhouse near here.

After hearing the petition filed by Raj Pakala against the notice issued by police asking him to appear before them on Monday, the court directed him to appear before it within two days and cooperate with the investigation.

"The respondents No.3 and 4 (police) are directed not to take any coercive steps against the petitioner, subject to the condition of the petitioner responding to the notice under Section 35 (3) BNSS. The petitioner is given two days time to respond to the notice under Section 35(3) of BNSS with liberty to take assistance of his counsel,” the court said in the order.

The police raided the farmhouse of Pakala and registered a case on October 27 against him and another person, who tested positive for cocaine at the party organised there.

Raj Pakala's counsel contended that the case was registered to tarnish his image, for extraneous considerations and to target the family members of the brother-in-law of the petitioner.

Recently, Raj Pakala had moved into his new residence in Janwada and hosted a house warming ceremony for his close friends and relatives on October 26, the counsel submitted.

Alcohol was served, but no intoxicating or narcotic substance as alleged by police, the petitioner claimed.

Going by the contents of the FIR, M Vijay, who was one of the guests at the event, was allegedly found to have consumed cocaine and his urine sample tested positive, he said.

The Additional Advocate General said there is no apprehension for the arrest of the petitioner. The allegation that there is a political motive for registration of the FIR is incorrect. The police have acted in accordance with law, he told the court.

The court posted the matter to November 25.

According to police, following input that a party was going on at the farmhouse in Janwada, with "drugs and liquor unauthorisedly", a team of Cyberabad Police and Excise officials raided the place on October 26 night.

Raj Pakala hosted the party and since he did not obtain an Excise license, a case was registered against him under relevant sections of the Excise Act.

The incident kicked up a row with the ruling Congress and the BRS trading charges.