Andhra Pradesh government told to give info on mishaps at EG bridge

A division bench comprising acting Chief Justice Dilip B. Bhosale and Justice S.V. Bhatt was dealing with a matter taken up based on a letter from Mr Geddam Atchutha Rao, advocate of East Godavari district, seeking the court’s intervention into alleged failure of the authorities in preventing accidents on the barrage.

He brought to the notice of the court that on June 13 this year, 22 pilgrims had died when an overloaded mini van had fallen into the Godavari river after breaking through the perimeter of the Dowaleswaram bridge. He stated that the driver had not noticed the curve due to the failure of the lights.

While hearing the case, the bench asked counsel representing the AP government to inform the court whether the government had paid any compensation to the victims and also about the preventive measures taken to avoid further accidents at the barrage.

The Hyderabad High Court on Monday dismissed a plea seeking to declare the action of the Union home ministry in not implementing Sections 5 and 8 of the AP Reorganisation Act in Hyderabad as withdrawn.

A division bench comprising acting Chief Justice Dilip B. Bhosale and Justice S.V. Bhatt, while dealing with the plea by Seemandhra Gazetted Officers Association, represented by its president K.V. Krishnaiah, expressed displeasure and anger at the petitioner for filing frivolous petitions.

The bench stated: “There is no valid ground in the plea to hear it and it is nothing, but wasting the court’s time to move such frivolous pleas. If the petitioner insists for a hearing he has to pay heavy costs to hear his version.” The bench permitted the petitioner to withdraw the plea based on his request.