Don't change nature of land belonging to Victoria Memorial: Hyderabad HC
Hyderabad: The Hyderabad High Court on Friday told the state government not to change nature of the land belonging to Victoria Memorial Home in Saroornagar for the construction of the Rachakonda police commissionerate complex.
A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice Abhinand Kumar Shavili was dealing with a PIL by Mr L. Buchi Reddy, president of V.M. Home Orphan Old Students Association, challenging the decision of the state government to lease 10 acres of land belonging to the home to the Rachakonda police. Additional advocate-general J. Ramachandra Rao said the government was prepared to file a counter in the matter and sought an adjournment till Monday
Mr Sarasani Satyam Reddy, senior counsel appearing for the petitioner, said the the government had taken up the ground clearance works. More than 50 trees were removed and officials were trying to demolish an old building. He presented photographs showing the work in progress, and a board claiming that the land belonged to the Rachakonda police. He contended that the government had no power to affect this transfer as it was only a custodian of this endowment property and land belonged to the trust.
Mr Ramachandra Rao said the endowments department had granted permission for the lease. He said the government had the power to enter into a lease agreement in view of the permission from the endowments department. Making it clear that nature of land should not be changed, the bench adjourned the case to Tuesday.
Seek options from petitioners TS, AP told
The Hyderabad High Court on Friday directed the TS and AP governments to invite options from 1,260 employees who have approached the court against their allotment to AP.
A division bench comprising Justice C.V. Nagarjuna Reddy and Justice M.S.K. Jaiswal said the dispute had not been resolved though a committee headed by a retired judge had heard the matter. Maintaining that inviting the options from the petitioners would pave way to settle the issue, the bench asked both governments why they had not sought options from the petitioners.
TS Advocate General D. Prakash Reddy said the government was ready to invite options and was ready to admit employees opting for Telangana state. AP special counsel D. Ramesh said the employees were sidelined by the TS on grounds of nativity. The bench said when the TS government had came forward to admit employees in its power utilities, the AP government should take the initiative to resolve the dispute.
Mr Vedula Venkata Ramana, senior counsel, said he was appearing for 500 employees and chances were that 40 per cent of them would opt for Telangana state. Mr Prakash Reddy said they will prepare a format to seek options from the employees.
Appointment of Justice challenged
A petition has been moved before the Hyderabad High Court on Friday challenging appointment of Justice D.V.S.S. Somayajulu as additional judge of the High Court. City advocate U.D. Jai Bhima Rao and two other advocates moved the petition stating that the appointment was violative of Article 217(2) of the Constitution.
They submitted that judges are appointed from the Bar and those who have held judicial office for not less than 10 years. They said that Justice Somayajulu was not the member of the Bar of any High Court.
No permission for Gali’s London visit
The Hyderabad High Court on Friday refused permission to mining baron Gali Janardhan Reddy to visit London to attend his daughter’s first marriage anniversary.
Gali Janardhan Reddy
Justice M. Satyanarayana Murthy was dismissing two petitions by Mr Janardhan Reddy, accused in illegal mining case of Obulapuram Mining Corporation, seeking a direction to the special CBI court to release his passport. He moved the High Court after the CBI court rejected his plea. Opposing the plea, CBI counsel said it would be a Herculean task for the agency to get back the petitioner if he disappeared in London and cited the case of liquor baron Vijay Mallya.
