KTR serves legal notice on Eenadu over passport report
BRS working president KT Rama Rao said Tuesday he sent Eenadu a legal notice over its report on his passport. He accused the newspaper of publishing false information without verifying the facts.
The September 29 report said a special court had ordered the temporary impounding of Rama Rao's passport in the Formula E case. His notice said the Anti-Corruption Bureau had only filed a memo seeking appropriate directions from the court, Telugu360 and Telangana Today reported.
The notice said no court order requiring Rama Rao to surrender his passport or directing its temporary impounding had been passed when the report was published.
Advocate N Lalitha Reddy issued the notice on Rama Rao's behalf on September 30. It was addressed to the newspaper's editor, publisher, printer, resident editor and the reporter, Telangana Today reported.
The notice also referred to a September 28 show-cause notice from the Regional Passport Office in Hyderabad. That notice, issued under Section 10(3)(e) of the Passports Act, gave Rama Rao 15 days to respond, according to Telangana Today.
Rama Rao demanded that Eenadu withdraw the report and publish a correction with equal prominence. He also sought an unconditional apology and removal of the report from the newspaper's website, e-paper, social-media accounts and digital archives.
The notice asked the publication to disclose the sources and records used to describe the ACB memo as a court order. It also sought the preservation of related messages, emails, notes, recordings, documents and electronic records.
Rama Rao gave the newspaper 48 hours to comply. The notice warned of possible civil and criminal defamation proceedings and an approach to the Press Council of India if the demands were not met.
