HC Division Bench to Hear Telangana Govt Appeal Against Stay on Kalyana Lakshmi, Shaadi Mubarak

Hyderabad:A division bench of the Telangana High Court is set to hear on Tuesday the state government’s appeal challenging the interim orders of a single judge that had stayed the implementation of the Kalyana Lakshmi and Shaadi Mubarak welfare schemes.

The bench comprising Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice G.M. Mohiuddin on Monday overruled the High Court registry’s objections to the government’s appeal and directed that a number be assigned to it, paving the way for its hearing on Tuesday.

The single judge on August 12 had granted interim stay orders on implementation of eight government orders on the Kalyana Lakshmi and Shaadi Mubarak welfare schemes in a petition filed by advocate Vijay Gopal in his personal capacity, The single judge passed the interim orders after the state government failed to file its counter.

Following the stay, the government filed the counters and single judge bench which was hearing the petition was not inclined to immediately vacate the stay orders. Hence, the state government filed an appeal before the division bench. However, the High Court registry had raised some objections to assigning a number to the appeal. On Monday, it was placed before the Chief Justice bench to hear the objections raised by the Registry.

Advocate-General A. Sudarshan Reddy contended that the petition filed by a private person was not maintainable before a single judge. He argued that the petitioner had neither suffered any prejudice nor demonstrated any violation of rights on account of the implementation of the welfare schemes.

Arguing that the challenge essentially concerned government policy, the Advocate-General contended that the matters questioning policy decisions and the validity of welfare schemes were within the jurisdiction of a division bench. The A-G urged the division bench to hear the appeal against the interim orders passed by the single judge.

HC Directs Police Not to Insist on Potency Test for Suspended Trainee IPS Officer

Hyderabad:The Telangana High Court on Monday directed the investigating officer to not insist on conducting a potency test on suspended trainee IPS officer M. Uday Krishna Reddy, accused in a case of alleged sexual harassment, until further directions. The matter will be held on Tuesday.

The court was hearing a petition filed by Krishna Reddy challenging the order of the Rangareddy district court in Rajendranagar, which had allowed the investigating agency to conduct the potency test as part of its investigation. The petitioner contended that the authorising the potency test was legally unsustainable. Appearing for Krishna Reddy, senior advocate Ashok Reddy argued that the investigating officer's request for the test ought not to have been allowed under Section 52 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).

Counsel submitted that the nature of the proposed medical examination and the circumstances in which it was being sought did not justify authorising a potency test in the manner ordered by the lower court. He also brought to the High Court's notice a relevant judgment of the Supreme Court, contending that the ruling had a bearing on the legality of the proposed examination.

Public prosecutor Palle Nageswara Rao submitted that the potency test was an essential part of the investigation and that the agency required the medical examination to establish facts relevant to the case. Justice Srinivas Rao was not inclined to issue orders but directed the investigating officer to not press for or insist upon conducting the potency test until Tuesday.

HC Grants Bail to Convicted Ex-MIM Leader Farooq Ahmed Citing Appeal Delay

Hyderabad:The Telangana High Court granted bail to former AIMIM leader Mohd. Farooq Ahmed, in prison for nearly six years while serving out life imprisonment in a murder case. The bail was granted not on the merits of the case, with the court observing that his appeal against the life sentence was unlikely to come up for hearing in the near future, as the court was currently taking up appeals filed in 2017 and 2018.

Ahmed has been in custody since December 18, 2020, and his appeal has been pending since 2022. While granting bail, the court observed that the case fell within the parameters laid down in ‘Batchu Ranga Rao v. State of AP’ (2016), which dealt with grant of bail to convicts where appeals against their convictions were likely to take considerable time for disposal.

Ahmed had opened fire in Adilabad town on December 18, 2020, killing a former corporator and injuring two others. The Additional Sessions Judge Court at Adilabad had in 2022 sentenced Ahmed to life imprisonment. He filed an appeal before the High Court which has been pending.

Considering the prolonged incarceration and the likelihood of delay in hearing the appeal, the High Court bench allowed the interlocutory application and suspended the sentence imposed on Ahmed pending disposal of the appeal. The court directed him to execute a personal bond of Rs 25,000 with two sureties for a like sum.

No Interim Relief from HC for Konda Surekha’s Ex-OSD in Realtor Assault, Extortion Case

Hyderabad:The Telangana High Court on Monday declined to grant interim protection from arrest to Narla Sumanth, former officer on special duty (OSD) to monda Surekha, who is facing allegations of assaulting real estate businessman Gongidi Harikrishna and demanding `10 crore from him. Justice J. Srinivas Rao, hearing a criminal petition filed by Sumanth and other accused, adjourned the matter to Tuesday.

The petitioners sought quashing of the case registered at Jubilee Hills police station. Counsel for the petitioners submitted that Sumanth and other accused would cooperate with the investigation and sought protection from arrest.

Additional public prosecutor Jitender Rao opposed the plea for interim relief, submitting that the de facto complainant had allegedly suffered serious injuries in the incident involving the petitioner and his accomplices. He further informed the court that there had been a delay in registering the FIR and that the Jubilee Hills inspector had been placed under suspension in connection with the delay.