Don't reopen cases unnecessarily: Hyderabad High Court

Hyderabad: The Hyderabad High Court has held that once trial is completed and the judgement is reserved, it is wholly undesirable for a court to reopen the case suo motu. This is a very unhealthy practice, which, apart from giving scope for unscrupulous parties to indulge in vexatious litigation by filing needless applications, gives rise to speculation, often putting the credibility of the judge at stake.

Justice C.V. Nagarjuna Reddy while dismissing a civil revision petition observed that by resorting to such practice, the court creates needless suspicion in the minds of the parties.

The judge found fault with the I additional senior civil judge court of Visakhapatnam in reopening the case for hearing several times after reserving the judgement.

Justice Nagarjuna Reddy said: “In my opinion, till the arguments of both sides in all respects are completed and the court gets clarity on all aspects from counsel for both sides, it shall not reserve the case for judgement. Once the judgement is reserved, it must avoid reopening of the case suo motu as far as possible, except in exceptional circumstances.”

Referring to the Civil Procedure Code and Rules, the judge said that the court, after the case has been heard, shall pronounce judgement in open court either at once, or as soon thereafter as may be practicable.

4 months to decide on power staff
The Hyderabad High Court has directed the power distribution companies of both states to take a decision within four months with regard to recruitment of sub-engineers, linemen, junior linemen, junior assistants and other posts as per the notifications issued in 2011 and 2012.

A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Ramesh Ranga-nathan and Justice Challa Kodandaram was partially allowing a revision petition seeking to review an order passed by the division bench in 2014 directing that a recruitment test be conducted afresh. The bench said that it was quashing the order of the division bench to conduct a fresh test.

AP Transco and discoms had issued notifications for the recruitment providing 45 marks weightage to in-service candidates. When some aspirants challenged it, a single judge reduced the marks to 20.

Aggrieved by the order contract employees moved an appeal and a division bench upheld the order of the single judge and directed the fresh test.