Notice to Andhra Pradesh on Araku MP

Hyderabad: The Hyderabad High Court on Wednesday issued notices to the AP government and Visakhapatnam district collector on a petition challenging the caste status of Kothapalli Geeta, YSR Congress MP from Araku Parliamentary constituency in that state. A division bench comprising Chief Justice Kalyan Jyoti Sengupta and Justice P.V. Sanjay Kumar was dealing with a plea by the AP Scheduled Tribes Employees’ Welfare Asso-ciation represented by its president E. Anjaneyulu and others.

They told the court that Ms Geeta was born in Thimmapuram village of Addateegala mandal in East Godavari district and she belongs to the Chri-stian Adiandhra caste that comes under Backward Class ‘C’ category.They said that her original name was Gladys Jacob and later she chang-ed her name to Kothapalli Geeta and got it notified through a gazette in 2002. The petitioners said that they had already represented to the government authorities prior to the election of Ms Geeta from Araku segment, but there was no action either before or after the election.

They submitted that earlier the High Court in a petition against her caste status, directed the authorities to conduct fresh inquiry into the matter and pass appropriate orders in accordance with the law after giving opportunity of hearing to the respondent.They urged the court to set aside the election of Ms Geeta on the ground that she does not belong to Valmiki caste of the Scheduled Tribe category.The Bench while issuing the notices to the respondent authorities including the MP directed them to file their counter affidavits before March 6.

Narsapur MLA told to file affidavit

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Kalyan Jyoti Sengupta and Justice P.V. Sanjay Kumar of the Hyderabad High Court on Wednesday directed B. Madhava Naidu, MLA of Narsapur Assembly seat in West Godavari district to file a counter affidavit by placing facts in a contempt case pending against him, in a week.

The bench was dealing with a suo motu contempt case against the MLA initiated for his alleged interference in demolition of structures in his constituency, which was taken up as per orders of the court.