On December 9, 2024, the Telangana High Court revoked the Indian citizenship of former Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Chennamaneni Ramesh, declaring him a German citizen. The court also imposed a fine of ₹30 lakhs for concealing his German citizenship.

Justice B Vijaysen Reddy said Mr.Ramesh's actions since 2009 had deprived genuine Indian citizens of their right to contest elections. The court upheld the Union Home Ministry's decision to cancel Mr.Ramesh's Indian citizenship, citing his status as a German citizen.

The High Court observed that former Vemulawada MLA Chennamaneni Ramesh is not "stateless," as he holds a German passport. It noted that Mr.Ramesh failed to produce evidence showing he had renounced his German citizenship.

MLA Adi Srinivas from Vemulawada had filed a petition seeking the revocation of Mr. Ramesh’s Indian citizenship. Advocate V. Rohit, representing the Petitioner, argued that Mr. Ramesh acquired German citizenship after moving to Germany in the 1990s, where he lived, worked, married, and started a family.Additonally, an inquiry revealed that Mr.Ramesh continued to hold his German passport and citizenship even after obtaining Indian citizenship.

The Court directed Mr. Ramesh to pay ₹30 lakh fine and from the same ₹25 lakh to be paid to Mr.Srinivas as reimbursement for legal expenses and the remaining ₹5 lakh to the High Court’s Legal Services Authority within a month.

Source: Press