Hyderabad High Court gives cop recruits a reprieve

Hyderabad: The Hyderabad High Court has directed the TS government to consider the cases of two provisionally recruited police constable whose candidature was rejected on the ground that they were involved in stalking when they were 20 years old. They had been subsequently acquitted.

Justice A. Rajashekar Reddy, while allowing the petitions by six provisionally selected candidates including the two petitioners involved in stalking case, observed, “it is true that the law considers it unwise to appoint or continue in service, a person guilty of an offence involving in moral turpitude. What constitutes moral turpitude is nowhere defined conclusively.” Of the six petitioners, one is still facing trial.

The judge pointed out that whether an offence involves moral turpitude will depend on its nature and the circumstances in which it was committed.

The case of the two petitioners was that they along with along with two others, had approached a girl when she was waiting for bus, and threatened her to start a relationship with one of them.

In the trial, the complainant failed to identify the accused, and the matter ended in acquittal.

The cases against other petitioners are that they have alleged to be involved in family and property disputes and electoral crimes.

The judge noted that the petitioners did not suppress the fact of their involvement in the crime and their acquittal.

Report on land in a week
The Hyderabad High Court on Tuesday granted the TS government a week to spell out its stand on a petition challenging GO 840 issued on October 12 to construct a reservoir in Mugupal mandal of Nizamabad district by merging Kondam Cheruvu and Munchippa Cheruvu under the Kaleswaram lift irrigation scheme.

Justice A. Rajasheker Reddy was dealing with a petition by Mr Banoth Eshwar Singh and 60 farmers of the mandal challenging the GO.

Petitioners’ counsel V. Raghunath submitted that the proposed 3.5-tmc ft capacity reservoir, when constructed, would submerge forests as well as the farmers; land. He said the reservoir was being constructed without environment clearances and without notifying nine tribal thandas.

Submit land data, says High Court
The Hyderabad High Court has directed the Hyderabad collector to furnish records to the private individuals pertaining to 18 acres of disputed land at Lothukunta in the Secun-derabad Cantonment.

A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Ramesh Ranga-nathan and Justice G. Shyam Prasad was dealing with an appeal by the TS government challenging an order of a single judge staying the action against Mr T Purushottam Rao and Mr T. Tirumala Rao under the Land Grabbing Act.

Government counsel submitted that the 18 acres belonged to the government. The private individuals had moved the Supreme Court which had directed them to raise their claims before the tahasildar.

Counsel for Mr Purushottam Rao and Mr Tirumala Rao told the court to direct the revenue authorities to show the records to prove that the land belonged to the government.