Punishment to Former Collector Suspended

Hyderabad: The vacation panel of the Telangana High Court suspended the punishment handed over to Musharraf Ali Faruqui, presently Chairman and Managing Director of the Southern Power Distribution Company Limited (SPDCL). The panel comprising Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy and Justice Lakshminarayana Alishetty is dealing with a statutory contempt appeal filed by him. Earlier, a single judge of the High Court sentenced Faruqui who was then the Nirmal Collector to undergo a one-month simple imprisonment after holding him guilty of contempt of court. It was held that the authorities had wilfully violated the directions of the court requiring them to pay salaries to the contempt petitioners within a period of three weeks. The two contempt cases related to non-payment of salaries to 44 Class IV employees. The court had directed the commissioner and the Collector to verify whether the petitioners had worked during the said period and if so, ensure payment of salaries. The report of the Collector that they did not work was in variation with the report of the principal secretary and a single judge accordingly faulted the contemnors and sentenced them to imprisonment. The panel today suspended the sentence of undergoing one-month simple imprisonment and adjourned the matter to after vacation.

No interim direction on failed MBBS students

A two-judge panel of the Telangana High Court on Thursday refused to grant any interim directions in favour of students of first-year MBBS who had narrowly failed to make their grade at the first test post. The panel of Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy and Justice Laxminarayana Alishetty was dealing with a batch of writ pleas challenging the regulations of the Medical Council. Chuikkudu Prabhakar, counsel for the petitioner, vociferously contended that detaining students in the first year for having not procured the prescribed marks by just one mark violated their right to life and education. Pujita, counsel for the Medical Council, said any interim order would have an effect across the country, and since there was a challenge to the very regulation the Medical Council is required to file its counter. The panel accordingly posted the matter to June 4.

HC takes up SEC move on mayoral polls for scrutiny

The decision of the State Election Commission to conduct elections for the mayor office of Bandlaguda-Jagir Municipal Corporation is up for judicial scrutiny. Justice Laxmi Narayana Alishetty is dealing with a writ plea filed by Burra Sai Sagar challenging a notification issued by the State Election Commission conducting elections to the casual vacancy in the office of Mayor, Bandlaguda-Jagir Municipal Corporation. The petitioner stated that the election is scheduled to be held on May 24. He contended that the notification issued was contrary to Rule 11 of the Telangana Municipalities Conduct of Election of Chairperson and Vice Chairperson of Municipalities and Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Municipal Corporation Rules 2020 and the same is liable to be quashed. The judge admitted the writ petition for hearing and posted the matter after vacation.