Telangana High Court Grants 4-Week Interim Protection to Vihaan Direct Selling Directors in QNet Suicide Case
Justice J. Srinivas Rao was dealing with a petition filed by Dilip Raj Pukkella and Mohammed Imtiaz, directors of Vihaan Direct Selling India Private Limited, seeking quashing of the criminal proceedings against them.
Hyderabad:The Telangana High Court has directed the CBI to not take coercive steps, including arrest, against two directors of Vihan Direct Selling India Private Limited for four weeks in connection with the alleged suicide of a Siddipet native who reportedly suffered financial losses after investing in QNet, online betting and gaming applications.
Justice J. Srinivas Rao was dealing with a petition filed by Dilip Raj Pukkella and Mohammed Imtiaz, directors of Vihaan Direct Selling India Private Limited, seeking quashing of the criminal proceedings against them. The court declined to stay the investigation or quash the FIR and directed the CBI to file its counter-affidavit within four weeks. The matter was adjourned for further hearing next month.
The case relates to Badugu Harikrishna, a resident of Siddipet district, who died allegedly by suicide at his residence in October 2025. A complaint lodged with the Gouraram police alleged that Harikrishna had borrowed money through loan applications and invested in online betting and gaming applications. He had also allegedly deposited `4 lakh with QNet and suffered financial losses. Based on the complaint, Gowraram police registered a case and the original FIR named QNet, online betting and gaming applications but did not name Pukkella or Imtiaz.
During the investigation, the police recorded the statement of a witness, following which provisions relating to cheating, criminal conspiracy and prize chits and money circulation schemes were added to the case. The investigation was subsequently transferred to the CID in March 2026 and later taken up by the CBI. The petitioners contended that they were implicated only during the course of the investigation and that their names did not figure either in the original complaint or the FIR.
Their counsel also pointed out that the CBI's FIR stated that, based on information received from the Telangana CID, the accused had been arraigned in the case.
TG High Court Faults Khammam Govt Hospital for Charging Parking Fee, Directs Immediate Halt
Hyderabad:The Telangana High Court has faulted the Khammam District Government Hospital for collecting parking fees from vehicles parked on the hospital premises. Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy was dealing with a petition challenging the collection of parking charges and fines from vehicles belonging to patients and their attendants. The petition was filed by T. Naveen Raju of Gandhinagar, Secunderabad, along with another petitioner. Their counsel contended that the collection of parking charges and fines on vehicles parked within the hospital premises was contrary to the regulations. The court directed the authorities not to collect parking fees and issued notices to the authorities including the state authorities directing them to file their counter-affidavits and posted the matter to November 12 for further hearing.
TG High Court Restrains Media, Social Platforms from Airing Content on POCSO Case Against Bandi Sanjay’s Son
Hyderabad:The Telangana High Court on Thursday directed social media platforms and television channels to refrain from telecasting or disseminating content relating to a Pocso case registered against Bandi Sai Bageerath, son of Union minister of state for home Bandi Sanjay Kumar, pending further hearing of his petition.
Justice E.V. Venugopal also directed the Union ministries of information and broadcasting and electronics and information technology, the Telangana home secretary, Director-General of Police and social media platforms and television channels to file their counter-affidavits within four weeks. The judge was dealing with a petition filed by Bageerath, seeking restraint against the publication and telecast of content relating to the POCSO case registered against him in May this year.
Senior counsel Avinash Desai, appearing for Bageerath, submitted that although his client was granted regular bail on July 9, 2026, television channels and social media platforms had continued to telecast and circulate content relating to the case. Senior counsel said some channels had linked photographs and videos from the petitioner's private functions with the Pocso case and telecast them, causing damage to his reputation and that of his father.