KTR Files 10 Crore Defamation Suit On Bandi Sanjay

BRS working president and Sircilla MLA K T Rama Rao today filed a civil defamation suit before the City Civil Court in Hyderabad against Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar, seeking damages of Rs 10 crore for making "false, malicious and defamatory" allegations.

In his plaint, filed through his counsel P Viswajanani of P V Janani & Associates, KTR also named several media organisations and social media platforms that carried or circulated the statements.

The suit seeks the mandatory removal of the defamatory content, an unconditional public apology from the Union minister, and a perpetual injunction restraining further defamatory publications.

KTR said that on August 8, 2025, Sanjay, during a press meet, made baseless remarks linking him to the misuse of Telangana's Special Intelligence Branch (SIB), illegal phone tapping and financial irregularities. These comments, he said, were widely broadcast across television networks including ABN Telugu, NTV, TV5, V6 and ANN Telugu, as well as digital platforms including India Today, NDTV, Deccan Herald and The Times Of India. The content was also spread through social media platforms including X, YouTube, Google and Meta.

KTR argued that such remarks were made out of political vendetta and amounted to a vicious smear campaign aimed at damaging his hard-earned reputation.

He added that despite serving a legal notice on August 11, 2025, Sanjay failed to issue an apology, leaving him with no option but to approach the court.

"An elected Union minister making such irresponsible and derogatory remarks has serious implications for the credibility, dignity and trust of public representatives," the plaint stated.