Hyderabad Court Summons Bandi Sanjay Kumar in Defamation Case Filed by KTR
A Hyderabad court has summoned Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar over a defamation lawsuit brought by Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Working President K.T. Rama Rao. The case stems from the minister’s explosive claims in the ongoing phone-tapping controversy in Telangana.
On Monday, the City Civil Court heard Rama Rao’s petition, where he demands ₹10 crore in damages. He accuses Bandi Sanjay Kumar of spreading "false, malicious, and defamatory" statements that damaged his reputation. The court ordered the minister to appear in person on December 15.
Rama Rao, through his lawyer P. Viswajanani from P.V. Janani & Associates, also named several media outlets and social media platforms in the suit. These include TV networks, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, Google, Facebook, and Instagram, which shared the controversial remarks. The BRS leader wants the court to force the removal of all defamatory content, demand an unconditional public apology from Bandi Sanjay Kumar, and issue a permanent ban on any future similar attacks.
The trouble started on August 8, 2025, when Bandi Sanjay Kumar addressed a press meet after testifying before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the phone-tapping scandal. He directly linked Rama Rao to the misuse of Telangana’s Special Intelligence Branch (SIB), illegal surveillance, and financial wrongdoing. These allegations quickly went viral, dominating TV channels and flooding social media.
Rama Rao calls it a "vicious smear campaign" driven by political revenge, aimed at ruining his years of hard work as a public figure. He fired off a legal notice on August 11, demanding an apology and a promise to stop the attacks. But Bandi Sanjay Kumar didn’t back down—instead, he hit back hard on X.
In a fiery post, the BJP leader mocked Rama Rao, saying: "You’re a coward who hides behind legal notices. You unsuccessfully tried to do it in the past. I won’t fall for your monkey tricks. Bring it on. Ahead of Rakhi, you’re running away to avoid facing your own sister—whose phone was tapped, something she herself agreed. Let alone giving me 48 hours—your clock is ticking and your dark secrets will be exposed, leaving you with nowhere to hide."
Rama Rao had previously sent a legal notice last month, urging the minister to apologize publicly and assure no more defamation. The minister’s comments also targeted former Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR), fueling the political fire between BRS and BJP in Telangana.
The plaint highlights the bigger issue: "An elected Union Minister making such irresponsible and derogatory remarks has serious implications on the credibility, dignity, and trust of public representatives." As the December hearing approaches, this defamation battle could shake up Telangana politics even more. Stay tuned for updates on the phone-tapping case and Bandi Sanjay Kumar’s response.
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