The fifth metropolitan magistrate on Friday discharged Union Labour Minister and Telangana Rashtra Samithi president K Chandrasekhar Rao in a criminal case filed by advocate N Prahlad alleging cheating and criminal breach of trust.

In the pre-charge trial, Prahlad and Katakam Narsing Rao, who had applied for TRS tickets for contesting state assembly elections held earlier this year from Mahbubabad and Dommat constituencies, were examined as witnesses.

The counsel for the TRS leader said that no direct payment was made to the minister and money was repaid to all those who had applied for tickets.

After considering the evidence placed before the court and hearing both sides, Metropolitan Magistrate A Venkateswar Reddy observed that prima facie case has not been made out to try the Union minister.