KTR's PRO Mahesh released after Bolarum police serve BNSS notice

BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao's public relations officer Mahesh Manikya Mudiraj was released by Bolarum police on Friday morning after being served a notice under Section 35(3) of the BNSS. He was taken from Saifabad police station on Thursday night over a September 8 case. Police alleged he argued with Begumpet ACP Gopalakrishna Murthy and obstructed personnel when BRS leaders heading to K. Chandrashekhar Rao's Erravalli farmhouse were stopped. A case was registered under BNS Sections 132 and 223.

Written by AI from Telangana Today · not yet reviewed by an editor · Published 18 Sept 2026, 12:28 pm IST

Source

Telangana Today · read the original report ↗

#brs#ktr#hyderabad police#bnss#telangana

Desk check · compared with the source

What the desk checked (5)

Mahesh Manikya Mudiraj, PRO to BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao, was released by Bolarum police on Friday morning after a notice under Section 35(3) of the BNSS. — Stated as fact in source, attributed to police action; no named official quoted.
He was moved from Saifabad police station to Bolarum police station on Thursday night in a case alleging obstruction of police duties. — Appears in source as reported detail; no direct attribution given.
Saifabad police booked Mahesh and KTR's personal assistant Mahender for allegedly abusing and threatening a reserve inspector during a September 7 incident at the Telangana Assembly. — Presented as a police case; allegation, not proven.
Police stopped BRS leaders at the Bolarum check-post on September 8 while they were heading to former CM K. Chandrashekhar Rao's Erravalli farmhouse, citing law-and-order restrictions. — Attributed to police in source.
A case was registered under Sections 132 and 223 of the BNS over an argument with Begumpet ACP Gopalakrishna Murthy. — Section numbers appear in source; police allegation only.

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Analysts’ view opinion

AI Legal Analyst

The legally significant detail here is that Mahesh was released on a notice under Section 35(3) of the BNSS rather than arrested. That provision is the procedural route for cases where custody is not considered necessary — the accused is instead directed to cooperate with the investigation, which means the case remains live. With two separate FIRs at two stations (Saifabad and Bolarum) over two different dates, the story also raises the question of how parallel investigations against the same individual are handled.

A Section 35(3) BNSS notice means release, not exoneration; failure to comply with its conditions can reopen the door to arrest.
BNS Sections 132 and 223 relate to obstructing or assaulting a public servant and disobedience of an order — categories generally at the lower end of the punishment scale, which is consistent with the notice route being used.
Taking a person already present at one station into custody for a case at another station is legally possible, but each case requires its own procedural safeguards — separate notice, grounds and intimation.
Stopping leaders at a check-post citing law-and-order restrictions puts the legality and source of that restriction order in focus, given constitutional protections on movement and assembly.
Everything police have said so far is allegation; the factual dispute will only be tested at the charge-sheet or trial stage.

What to watch — Watch whether police file charge sheets in either case, and whether the BRS side moves the High Court to challenge the FIRs or the restriction order.

The story sets out allegations and procedure only — it does not establish what actually happened at the check-post, the legal basis of the restrictions, or the accused's own version.

Deep dive

Research brief · 8 facts · 5 dates · exam-ready

The brief

Context

Mahesh Manikya Mudiraj, the public relations officer of BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao, was caught up in two police cases in Telangana arising from confrontations with police personnel in early September. On September 7 an alleged incident at the Telangana Assembly led Saifabad police to book him and KTR's personal assistant Mahender; on September 8 Bolarum police registered a case after BRS leaders were stopped at the Bolarum check-post while heading to former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao's Erravalli farmhouse. Mahesh was taken from Saifabad to Bolarum police station on Thursday night and released on Friday morning after being served a notice under Section 35(3) of the BNSS, the provision that allows police to require a person's appearance instead of arresting them.

Key facts

Mahesh Manikya Mudiraj, PRO to BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao, was released by Bolarum police on Friday morning after being served a notice under Section 35(3) of the BNSS.
He was taken from Saifabad police station to Bolarum police station on Thursday night in a case alleging obstruction of police duties.
The Bolarum case relates to an incident on September 8 at the Bolarum check-post.
Police stopped BRS leaders at the Bolarum check-post as they proceeded towards former CM K. Chandrashekhar Rao's Erravalli farmhouse, citing law-and-order restrictions.
Police alleged Mahesh argued with Begumpet ACP Gopalakrishna Murthy, behaved aggressively and obstructed police personnel from performing their duties.
The Bolarum case was registered under Sections 132 and 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
A separate Saifabad case concerns an alleged incident at the Telangana Assembly on September 7, in which Mahesh and KTR's personal assistant Mahender were booked.
In the Saifabad case, the two were booked for allegedly abusing and threatening a reserve inspector and obstructing him from performing his duties.

Timeline

September 7Alleged incident at the Telangana Assembly; Saifabad police book Mahesh and KTR's PA Mahender for abusing and threatening a reserve inspector and obstructing duty.
September 8BRS leaders stopped at Bolarum check-post en route to KCR's Erravalli farmhouse; case registered under BNS Sections 132 and 223 over alleged obstruction.
Before Thursday (date not stated in the source)Mahesh appears before Saifabad police after being served a notice in the Assembly incident case.
Thursday nightBolarum police take Mahesh into custody from Saifabad police station in the September 8 case.
Friday morningBolarum police release Mahesh after serving a notice under Section 35(3) of the BNSS.

Who has a stake

Mahesh Manikya Mudiraj — PRO to KTR; faces two police cases alleging obstruction of police duty and must comply with the BNSS Section 35(3) notice.
K.T. Rama Rao (BRS working president) — His PRO and personal assistant are both booked, drawing his office into police proceedings.
K. Chandrashekhar Rao — Former Chief Minister; BRS leaders were travelling to his Erravalli farmhouse when stopped, triggering the September 8 case.
Bolarum and Saifabad police — Registered and are investigating the two cases; enforced check-post restrictions citing law and order.
Begumpet ACP Gopalakrishna Murthy — Officer with whom Mahesh allegedly argued at the check-post; complaint basis of the BNS case.
Mahender, KTR's personal assistant — Booked along with Mahesh in the Saifabad case over the September 7 Assembly incident.
BRS party — Its leaders were stopped from reaching the farmhouse; party staff are now under police action.

Why it matters

The case shows how the new criminal codes are being applied in politically sensitive situations: instead of arrest, police used a Section 35(3) BNSS notice, a procedure meant to limit unnecessary custody in less serious offences. It also highlights friction between opposition party functionaries and police enforcing law-and-order restrictions on movement, raising questions about proportionality and the use of obstruction-of-duty provisions against political staff.

UPSC angle

Prelims pointers

Section 35(3), BNSS: police may issue a notice for appearance instead of arresting a person, in specified categories of cases.
BNS Sections 132 and 223 were invoked in the Bolarum case registered over the September 8 incident.
BNS (Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita) and BNSS (Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita) have replaced the earlier penal and procedure codes.
Mahesh Manikya Mudiraj is the PRO of BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao; Mahender is KTR's personal assistant.
Erravalli farmhouse is the residence of former Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao.
Two separate cases: Saifabad police (September 7 Assembly incident) and Bolarum police (September 8 check-post incident).

Mains framing

The episode illustrates the tension between police powers to regulate movement on law-and-order grounds and the political activity of an opposition party, as well as the practical working of India's new criminal procedure framework. Two cases were registered within days: one by Saifabad police over an alleged September 7 incident at the Telangana Assembly involving abuse and threats to a reserve inspector, and one by Bolarum police over the September 8 stopping of BRS leaders at a check-post en route to KCR's Erravalli farmhouse, invoking BNS Sections 132 and 223 for obstruction of public servants. Significantly, the accused was released after being served a notice under Section 35(3) of the BNSS rather than being kept in custody, reflecting the statutory preference for notice-based appearance over arrest in less grave offences and reducing scope for custodial overreach. The implications cut both ways: obstruction provisions must protect officers performing duty, but their use against party functionaries in charged political settings invites allegations of selective policing. A way forward, on the facts available, lies in transparent recording of grounds for check-post restrictions, consistent recourse to notice procedures instead of arrest, and time-bound, evidence-based investigation so that criminal process is not seen as an instrument of political contestation.

Key terms

BNSS Section 35(3): Provision under which police serve a notice requiring a person's appearance rather than making an arrest; used to release Mahesh.
BNS Sections 132 and 223: Provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita invoked in the Bolarum case relating to obstruction of and offences against public servants' duty.
PRO (public relations officer): Party functionary handling media and communication for a leader; here Mahesh Manikya Mudiraj works for K.T. Rama Rao.
BRS: Bharat Rashtra Samithi, the party whose working president is K.T. Rama Rao and whose leaders were stopped at the check-post.
Erravalli farmhouse: Residence of former Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao, the destination of the BRS leaders on September 8.
ACP: Assistant Commissioner of Police; Begumpet ACP Gopalakrishna Murthy was the officer allegedly argued with.

Practice questions

Discuss how Section 35(3) of the BNSS seeks to reduce unnecessary arrests, using a recent instance where a notice was served instead of custody.
Examine the balance between police powers to impose law-and-order restrictions on movement and the political rights of opposition parties.
Critically analyse the use of obstruction-of-public-servant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita in politically sensitive cases.

Grounded only in the source report — figures and dates are the source's, not inferred.

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