Hyderabad, Oct. 8 -- The Telangana High Court on Tuesday, October 7, extended the interim protection granted to former chief minister K Chandrashekhar Rao (KCR), former Irrigation minister T Harish Rao, former chief secretary SK Joshi, and senior IAS officer Smita Sabharwal in the writ petitions challenging the Justice PC Ghose Commission report on the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice GM Mohiuddin expressed displeasure over the state government's delay in filing counter-affidavits, observing that sufficient time had already been given.

The court had earlier fixed October 7 for completing the pleadings, but the Advocate General, appearing for the State, sought an additi...