Hyderabad: Expressing displeasure at the authorities for submitting photocopies of records in the suicide case of Hyderabad Central University research scholar Rohith Vemula, Justice P.V. Sanjay Kumar on Wednesday adjourned the case to February 25, asking the TS Home department to produce the original case file.
The judge was dealing with a petition by HCU Vice-Chancellor Appa Rao Podile seeking to quash a case registered against him for allegedly abetting Vemula’s suicide.
The judge on February 11 had directed the TS home department to produce all the records pertaining to the suicide including his suicide letter by February 17.
When the case came up for hearing on Wednesday, counsel for TS produced photocopies of the case file, including the suicide note.
When the judge enquired about the whereabouts of the original suicide note and other relevant documents, counsel replied that they had been sent for forensic examination. While directing counsel to produce the originals, the judge adjourned the case.
Telangana erred in framing service rules: Counsel
Supreme Court senior counsel Uday Chandra Singh told the Hyderabad High Court on Wednesday that there was no sanctity in the Telangana Judicial Service Rules.
He was appearing before the court for petitions moved against the appointments of junior civil judges pursuant to the notification issued in accordance with the AP Judicial Service Rules.
This was done despite formation of Telangana state and even after framing of its own Judicial Service Rules after duly adapting the AP Judicial Service Rules as per the provisions of AP Reorganisation Act 2014.
Senior counsel arguing before a division Bench comprising acting Chief Justice Dilip B. Bhosale and Justice S.V. Bhatt said that it was mandatory for the TS government to consult the High Court before framing its own judicial service rule. Since there was no consultation, the rules had no sanctity.
He said that the Telangana state rules were not applicable for the ongoing recruitments as the government had given retrospective effect to those rules after adaptation of the AP Judicial Service Rules.
He said that the High Court was going ahead with the appointment process following the direction of the Supreme Court. The Bench adjourned the hearing to February 25 to hear the version of the Centre.
Rohith panel dates clash
The Joint Action Committee for Social Justice in HCU, fighting for justice for Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula, is in a dilemma regarding the Chalo Delhi protest slated for Feb. 23.
The Centre has locked February 23 to 25 for the one-man judicial commission headed by retired judge Ashok Kumar to start its probe here.
Since the dates are clashing, students and teachers have written separately to the judicial commission to extend its stay in Hyderabad for two more days, till Feb. 27. They re yet to receive any reply.
The SC/ST teachers’ forum questioned the commitment of the Centre in resolving the issue. The dates were finalised to de-prive students an opp-ortunity to express their views, complained forum convener Dr Sudhaker.
Student leader Venkatesh Chouhan hinted that they would not alter their schedule even if the commission’s stay was not extended. Some student leaders would be asked to depose before the commission while the rest would be in Delhi.
