Hyderabad HC stays all proceedings against IAS officer

Hyderabad: Justice Raja Elango of the Hyderabad High Court on Friday stayed all proceedings against senior IAS officer Adityanath Das pending before the Special CBI Court in the Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy illegal investments case.
The CBI had charged Mr Das of extending undue favour to India Cements in allotting water to its cement plants in Ranga Reddy and Krishna districts from Kagna and Krishna rivers in the capacity of principal secretary, irrigation department of undivided AP.

Senior counsel T. Niranjan Reddy, appearing for the petitioner, contended that the CBI Court taking cognizance of the chargesheet filed by the CBI against the petitioner without sanction from the government was against the law. He submitted that though there was permission from the Interstate Water Regulating Council for allotment of waters, the CBI ignored this fact and filed charges against the petitioner.

CBI counsel Kesava Rao, opposing the stay of all proceedings including the appearance of the petitioner before the CBI Court, submitted that though there was no sanction to prosecute Mr Das under the Prevention of Corruption Act from the Centre, the trial court was competent to proceed against the accused for charges under the IPC.

While granting interim stay, the judge directed the CBI to file a counter affidavit.
Elsewhere, Justice Elango granted an interim order exempting Aurbindo Pharma MD Nityanada Reddy and Indu Group of Companies auditor C.V. Koteswara Rao from personal appearance before the Special CBI Court in the Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy illegal investments case.

No relief for banker in cheating case A division bench comprising Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice Suresh Kait of the Hyderabad High Court on Friday refused to  grant relief to  a branch manager of Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) an accused in a case of cheating the bank colluding with a middleman and to misuse a scheme of the bank to help poor farmers acquire land.

The bench pointed out that though the branch manager is not main accused in the case m he facilitated the misuse of scheme by colluding with main accused and he will not deserve for lenient view. The bench was dealing with a writ appeal by Mohammad Muneer Basha, manager at IOB, Nellore challenging the action of the Bank in making him to retire compulsorily on the ground of proving as guilty internal probe by the Bank in sanctioning Rs 1.5 crore to a middle man under the guise of granting loans to 15 farmers under Bhoomi Lakshmi scheme introduced by the bank to help poor farmers acquire land under a credit scheme on easy terms.

Counsel for the bank submitted that during the probe it was found that on K. Subba Rao the main accused in the scam colluded with Basha and opened 15 accounts with the bank showing them as farmers with fabricated proof of identities. While refusing to relief to the appellant, the bench asked the single judge to expedite the hearing of the plea of Basha questioning the punishment accorded to him.