Hyderabad: A division bench comprising acting Chief Justice Dilip B. Bhosale and Justice S.V. Bhatt of the Hyderabad High Court on Thursday agreed to hear a PIL on Friday challenging the Telangana government’s decision sanctioning Rs 15 lakh to IAS officer Smitha Sabarwal for meeting her legal expenses in a defamation case filed against Outlook magazine.
City resident K. Eshwar Rao had moved a PIL questioning the GO, sanctioning Rs 15 lakh to Ms Sabarwal for legal expenses and for filing a civil suit seeking damages of '10 crore from the management of the magazine.
The magazine had published a news report that allegedly damaged her image and reputation. Senior counsel S. Satyam Reddy, appearing for the petitioner, made a special mention for taking up the case in view of its urgency.
He submitted that it would be difficult to recover the money sanctioned by the government if the respondent officer paid the court fee and other expenses for filing a defamation case before a competent court.
The bench stated it would hear the case on Friday. It may be mentioned that Vatsala Vidya Sagar, a social activist from the city, has already moved a PIL challenging the GO.
