IN THE HIGH COURT FOR THE STATE OF TELANGANA AT HYDERABAD THE HON'BLE SRI JUSTICE E.V.VENUGOPAL WRIT PETITION No.5029 of 2026 DATE OF ORDER: 07.04.2026 Between:

Kagada Kunal Singh and another ...Petitioners AND The State of Telangana, Rep. by its Principal Secretary, Home Department, Secretariat Building, Hyderabad and 4 others.

...Respondents

ORDER :

This Writ Petition, under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, is filed seeking the following relief:

“...to issue a Writ, Order or direction more particularly one in the nature of Writ of Mandamus declaring the action of the respondents in calling the Petitioners to the Police Station and confined them in the Police Station and monitoring their movements under the guise of rowdy sheet as illegal, arbitrary, unconstitutional, unwarranted and contrary to the Police Standing Order apart from violating Article 19 and 21 of the Constitution of India and consequently, direct the respondents to close rowdy sheet against the Petitioners and not to harass them in any manner and pass...”

2. Heard learned counsel for the petitioners; Mr.M.Srinivas, learned Assistant Government Pleader representing Mr.Mahesh Raje, learned Government Pleader for Home appearing for respondent Nos.1 to 5.

3. Learned counsel for the petitioners would submit that the petitioners hail from respectable family and they are law abiding citizens. Learned counsel for the petitioners would further submit that in view of registration of a case against the petitioners vide Crime No.147 of 2021 of Kachiguda Police Station for the offences punishable under Sections 307 read with Section 34 of IPC, a rowdy sheet/surveillance sheet has been maintained against them. It is the further case of the petitioners that, after completion of investigation, charge sheet was laid and the same was numbered as S.C.No.696 of 2022 on the file of the II Additional Sessions Judge, Nampally, Hyderabad. The main grievance of the petitioners is that as on today, there is only one case pending against the petitioners herein. However, without considering the said fact and also the procedure laid down under the A.P.Police Manual, the respondents have issued the above said rowdy sheet against the petitioners herein and they are continuing the same which is arbitrary, illegal and also contrary to the principles laid down by the Hon’ble Apex Court and this Court in catena of decisions. Learned counsel would further submit that under the guise of opening and continuation of rowdy sheet, the respondents-police are calling the petitioners to the police station and harassing them by making them to wait in the police station for hours together. With the said submissions, learned counsel for the petitioners sought a direction to the respondents to close the above said rowdy sheet opened against the petitioners.

4. A counter affidavit is filed by respondent No.5 stating that, in view of the involvement of the petitioners in Crime No.147 of 2021 for serious offences, the Police, Kachiguda Police Station, Hyderabad, has opened a rowdy sheet against them vide Proceedings No.782/IW/ACP/KCG/2021, dated 11.06.2021 and the same is maintained in the said police station. Learned Assistant Government Pleader for Home, on instructions, would submit that, as of now only one case is pending against the petitioners and he also seeks to pass appropriate orders.

5. Maintenance of rowdy sheets is governed by Standing Order No.601 of A.P. Police Manual, Part-I, Volume II, which reads as under:

“601. The following persons may be classified as rowdies and Rowdy Sheets (Form 80) may be opened for them under the orders of the SP/DCP and ACP/SDPO.

A. Persons who habitually commit, attempt to commit or abet the commission of offences involving a breach of the peace, disturbance to public order and security.

B. Persons bound over under Sections 106, 107, 108(1) (i) and

110(e) and (g) of Cr.P.C.

C. Persons who have been convicted more than once in two

consecutive years under sections 59 and