The Telangana High Court imposed a ₹30 lakh fine on Chennamaneni Ramesh, the former MLA from Vemulawada, for concealing his German citizenship and misrepresenting facts regarding his eligibility for Indian citizenship. The Court upheld the 2019 order from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs that revoked Ramesh's Indian citizenship, ruling that he failed to renounce his German nationality, as required by Indian law.
Ramesh, who represented the Vemulawada constituency in the Telangana Legislative Assembly for four terms, was found to have suppressed crucial information regarding his German citizenship when applying for Indian citizenship in 2008. Despite the court's earlier instructions to provide proof of renouncing his foreign nationality, Ramesh failed to submit the required documentation, leading the court to conclude that he was not 'stateless' as he claimed, but instead held a valid German passport.
Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy, who delivered the judgment, noted that Ramesh, who had contested elections since 2009, had engaged in a serious violation by "misleading the authorities" about his citizenship status. In a sharp critique, the judge remarked that Ramesh’s actions had "eaten into the chances of a genuine Indian citizen’s right to contest elections and win."
Justice Reddy was stern in his criticism, stating, “The petitioner (Ramesh) is not ‘stateless’ as he holds a German passport.” The court also dismissed Ramesh’s petition challenging the Union Home Ministry’s 2019 decision, which had revoked his Indian citizenship on grounds of misrepresentation.
The court found that Ramesh's continued participation in elections since 2009, while holding dual citizenship, amounted to undermining the electoral rights of genuine Indian citizens. “The action of the petitioner in contesting elections with false documents amounts to the denial of the right of a genuine Indian citizen to contest and win elections,” Justice Vijaysen observed in his ruling.
The court ordered Ramesh to pay a substantial penalty of ₹30 lakh, with ₹25 lakh being directed to Congress MLA Adi Srinivas, who had initially filed the petition against Ramesh’s citizenship status. The remaining ₹5 lakh is to be paid to the Telangana Legal Services Authority as part of the court’s emphasis on deterring fraudulent practices.
In a statement, Adi Srinivas expressed his satisfaction with the verdict, highlighting the importance of holding public figures accountable. "Ramesh was elected MLA with false documents as a German citizen. The court's decision is a strong message against such actions," he remarked.
The case arose from allegations by Srinivas, who contended that Ramesh had fraudulently obtained Indian citizenship in 2009 without relinquishing his German citizenship, thereby violating the provisions of the Representation of the People Act. The Act prohibits foreign nationals from contesting elections in India. His subsequent political career, saw him win elections in 2009, 2010, 2014, and 2018. The Central government, in its submission to the court, revealed that Ramesh had retained his German passport, which was valid until 2033, and had even visited Germany in 2023.
The Court’s verdict comes after a thorough inquiry by the Ministry of Home Affairs, which found that Ramesh had acquired Indian citizenship "solely to facilitate his political ambitions."
