Hyderabad: A division Bench comprising acting Chief Justice Dilip B. Bhosale and Justice S.V. Bhatt of the Hyderabad High Court on Thursday upheld the decision of the TS government in amending the AP (Agricultural Produce and Live Stock) Markets Act, 1966 to reduce the term of the members of Agricultural Market Committees from three years to one year.
While dismissing writ petitions by members of various market committees, the Bench considered the argument of the state government that the term of the office bearers was governed by the Act and Rules and it had the power to change the duration of the term by amending the rules.
The state told the HC that the amendment to the Act was given retrospective effect for uniformity and the petitioners did not have any right to oppose it.
HC stays Revanth aide’s arrest
The Hyderabad HC on Thursday granted interim relief to Jerusalem Mathaiah, the fourth accused in the cash-for-vote case, by staying his arrest till June 24. Justice B. Siva Sankara Rao granted relief while dealing with a plea by Mr Mathaiah seeking quashing of the FIR against him in the case.
The judge took the matter following a mention from the public prosecutor of AP, Mr V. Ravi Kiran Rao, who opposed the hearing of the matter on an out-of-turn basis as there was no urgency in the case and because the accused was absconding for the last 18 days. He urged the court to adjourn the hearing to help him to get instructions from the ACB. The judge adjourned the hearing to 4 pm.
When the matter came up for hearing, Mr Sidharth Luthra, senior advocate from the SC appearing for the petitioner, contended that the probe was done without registering an FIR, which was not permissible under the CrPC.
He said that the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act could not be applied in this case and his client feared arrest and harassment.
Telangana advocate general K. Ramakrishna Reddy, appearing for the ACB, urged the Court not to grant interim relief to the petitioner and sought time to respond to various contentions raised by the petitioner in the case.
After hearing both sides, Justice Rao ordered a stay of arrest of Mr Mathaiah till June 24 and directed the ACB to file a counter affidavit.
