Sreedhar case: HC expresses surprise over earlier order

Hyderabad: The Chief Justice bench of the Telangana High Court on Monday observed that was strange that a single-judge bench had passed an interim order in a case involving Sandhya Conventions managing director Sreedhar Rao and his wife Sandhya.

On December 30 last, the single judge in the interim order had directed the home department and Cyberabad police not to arrest  Sreedhar Rao and Sandhya in any crime relating to civil and commercial transactions until further orders.

Aggrieved with the order, one of the complainants, who had said he was cheated in a commercial transaction with Sreedhar Rao, filed an appeal before the division bench.

While hearing the appeal on Monday, the division bench headed by Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma said that it was strange that the interim order was given, and observed that it was a blanket order which also gave protection from arrest to the accused in future cases.

The bench commented that it had never come across with such an order.

The bench asked counsel for Sreedhar Rao to argue the case and justify the interim order. When counsel sought a few days to argue, the court did not agree and adjourned the hearing to Tuesday.