Senior IAS officer Smita Sabharwal challenges Justice Ghose Commission report on Kaleshwaram, says adverse remarks made without due process. HC to hear plea.

Hyderabad: Senior IAS officer Smita Sabharwal has approached the Telangana High Court, contesting the Justice P.C. Ghose Commission’s report on the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project. She argued that the commission passed damaging remarks against her without following the mandatory safeguards under Sections 8-B and 8-C of the Commissions of Inquiry Act, which guarantee notice and a fair chance to respond.

Sabharwal clarified that she had no role in sanctioning or approving barrages, stressing that her position in the Chief Minister’s Office did not involve decision-making authority. The Commission, however, linked her to site visits, inspections, and administrative clearances, and even suggested action for bypassing Cabinet procedures.

Calling these findings “arbitrary and prejudicial,” she requested the court to strike down the portions of the report concerning her. The petition also seeks interim protection from coercive action, similar to the relief already extended to K. Chandrashekhar Rao, T. Harish Rao, and former CS S.K. Joshi.

Editorial note: The controversy highlights a larger concern  commissions of inquiry, if rushed or politically motivated, risk damaging reputations without accountability. For public trust, both the government and investigating bodies must ensure fair procedure, transparency, and consistency rather than targeting selectively.