Don't dispossess farmers of their lands Telangana govt directed by Hyderabad HC

Hyderabad: The Hyderabad High Court on Tuesday directed the TS government not to dispossess farmers from their 240 acres of land in Gowliwada village of Peddapally district till the completion of land acquisition process under the Land Acquisition Act 2013. The government has proposed to acquire the lands for the Sundilla Barrage under the Kaleswaram Lift Irrigation Scheme.

A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice Shameem Akhter was dealing with a PIL by one Pendru Praveen Reddy, a resident of Gowliwada village, challenging the attempt of the authorities to dispossess farmers from their lands without paying compensation to them. B. Rachana Reddy, counsel for the petitioner, told the court that the authorities have begun blasting activities in the lands belonging to the farmers for construction of a pump house without completing the land acquisition process under the Act, 2013. Ms Reddy said that due to the blasting, standing crops have been damaged.

When the bench asked TS A-G, A. Ramakrishna Reddy, whether the lands were acquired under the emergency clause of the Act, he replied in the negative. Mr Reddy submitted that the works were taken up in 106 acres belonging to the government and the farmers’ lands were not touched. He sought two weeks to file counter-affidavit. Granting the time, the bench directed the authorities not to touch the lands of the farmers.

Conviction in fake notes case upheld:

The Hyderabad High Court on Tuesday upheld the conviction of the 10 accused in the counterfeit currency smuggling case awarded by the Special NIA Court of the city. A division bench comprising Justices C.V. Nagarjuna Reddy and M.S.K. Jaiswal, upheld the conviction while dismissing the three appeals moved by Mohd. Anwar Sheik, Sajib-ul-Haque, Rizav-ul-Haque @ Rizavul, Bablu Sheik, Janab Hassan,  Imran Khan,  Md. Rakib Sheikh, Md. Hussain, Manik Sheik, Morjen Hussain, Mustafa Ali Buddan and Mohsin Sheik, challenging the an order of the NIA Court of the city sentencing them to imprisonment on February 19, 2015.

The NIA Special Court cum Ist Additional Metropolitan Sessions Court had on February 19, 2015 convicted seven accused under Section 489-B and 489-C of IPC and five accused under Section 489-B of IPC and three accused under Section 489-C of IPC, sentencing them to a maximum of four to five years’ imprisonment for possession and smuggling of High Quality FICN with the face value Rs 31.57 lakh.

While dismissing the appeals and upholding the conviction, the bench pointed out that was no warrant of interference in the verdict of the special court as it was convicted of their guilt by considering certain vital evidence and the facts. It may be recalled that on January 20, 2017, the bench had also dismissed three similar appeals by Masood Akhter, Mohammed Shafi and Shaik Akram for circulation of fake currency in India in collusion with Pakistan and Bangladesh nationals.