Sentini BioProducts filed the civil suit on July 6, 2026, in a Hyderabad court, naming farmer M. Muralidhar Reddy as the defendant and asking the judge to order him to pay compensation for loss of reputation, mental agony and legal expenses, as well as to bar any future "misleading and malicious" remarks.
The case reached the pre‑trial stage on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, when the court scheduled a hearing to determine whether the matter will proceed to trial.
Reddy has previously spoken to the media about the factory’s impact on soil, water and air. In April 2026, a Telugu television program titled “Sentini Mantalu” featured him describing the problems faced by villagers, and he has also given statements to The Hindu.
Local farmers have staged multiple protests against the ethanol plant, which has operated in the area since 2008. Complaints lodged in 2013 prompted a Lokayukta inquiry in February 2022, which found that untreated effluents were being discharged into the Gandepalli‑Nandaluru irrigation canal, raising soil salinity levels.
Following the Lokayukta report, the Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board imposed a fine on Sentini BioProducts and commissioned a professor from Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University to assess crop damage. The professor’s final report was submitted to the board earlier this month.
In its filing, Sentini BioProducts contended that the farmer’s statements were false, unverified and damaging, asserting that the company complies with all statutory requirements and holds valid licences, approvals and environmental clearances from the APPCB and other authorities.
The suit also alleges that Reddy had previously approached the company about a land‑sale transaction adjacent to the plant. After the deal fell through, the company claims the farmer “developed hostility and pursued a sustained campaign of making false allegations.”