Hyderabad: The Telangana high court on Tuesday directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to ascertain whether the Interpol red corner notice (RCN) issued against former Rajya Sabha member KVP Ramachandra Rao is still in force.The RCN was issued by Interpol in 2014 following a provisional arrest warrant issued by a US court in 2013 in connection with the alleged titanium project bribery case.The case was registered by the Federal Bureau of Investigation before the US district court for the Northern District of Illinois, which alleged that $18.5 million (Rs 153.6 crore) was paid as bribes to govt officials to secure approvals for a titanium project.Rao had approached the Andhra Pradesh high court in 2014 challenging the RCN. The court granted an interim stay in 2015, which has remained in force since then. It also directed the CID not to take further action against him in connection with the notice. The ministry of home affairs, ministry of external affairs, and the CBI were made parties to the petition.When the matter came up for hearing on Tuesday before the bench of Justice N Tukaramji, the CBI submitted that the petition filed in 2014 challenging the Interpol RCN in a US-based conspiracy case was not maintainable.CBI counsel T Srujan Kumar Reddy argued that the notice had not been issued by any Indian court or agency. Since it originated from Interpol headquarters in Paris, any challenge or appeal should be pursued in the appropriate jurisdiction. He maintained that the CBI had acted only as an executing agency and therefore the petition was not maintainable in the local court.The matter was initially listed for dismissal due to the absence of the petitioner’s representation. However, the court agreed to hear the case following a request from the petitioner’s counsel.Senior counsel RN Hemendranath Reddy and advocate CH Satish Kumar, appearing for Rao, pointed out that while the CBI had filed a counter, the central govt and Interpol were yet to submit their responses. They argued that the centre should also place its stand on record.The counsel also sought time to clarify whether the Telangana high court had jurisdiction to hear the matter or if it should be transferred to the AP high court.Taking note of the submissions, the court adjourned the matter for two weeks and directed the CBI to ascertain whether the Interpol red corner notice against Rao continues to remain in force.
