Deccan Kitchen Case: Venkatesh and Rana Get Major Legal Update
The complaint had earlier reached the magistrate court after the complainant recorded his sworn statement.
The Daggubati family has received some clarity in the ongoing Deccan Kitchen property dispute, but the legal battle is not over yet. The Telangana High Court has rejected the petitions filed by actor Venkatesh Daggubati, Rana Daggubati and other family members seeking to cancel the criminal proceedings in the case.
The dispute is connected to a property in Film Nagar, Hyderabad, where Deccan Kitchen was operating. Businessman Kore Nandu Kumar had filed a complaint against members of the Daggubati family. He alleged that the leased property was entered without permission, some structures were demolished and certain movable items were removed. He also made allegations about threats during the dispute.
Along with Venkatesh and Rana, producer D Suresh Babu, D Abhiram and accountant Gaddam Vishwanatham were also named in the proceedings. The family members approached the High Court and argued that the matter was mainly about the lease, possession and property rights. According to their argument, it was essentially a civil dispute and should not have been treated as a criminal case.
However, the Telangana High Court did not accept this argument. Justice N Tukaramji observed that a dispute may involve civil issues and still contain elements of a criminal offence. If the complaint and the available material indicate a cognisable offence, criminal proceedings can continue.
The complaint had earlier reached the magistrate court after the complainant recorded his sworn statement. Based on the proceedings, a criminal case was registered under the relevant provisions of the law applicable at that time.
The Daggubati family had approached the High Court in 2024 seeking to stop the proceedings. The latest order has now dismissed their petitions, allowing the case to continue before the lower court.
However, this does not mean that Venkatesh or Rana has been declared guilty. The High Court has only refused to cancel the criminal proceedings at this stage. The allegations are yet to be examined through the legal process, and the lower court will decide the matter based on the evidence and arguments presented.
The Deccan Kitchen dispute has therefore become an important legal issue involving one of Tollywood's well-known film families. For now, the case will continue in the lower court, while the Daggubati family will have to pursue its legal options through the ongoing proceedings.