Separate Commission for ST: HC expresses doubts

HYDERABAD: A two-judge bench of the Telangana High Court on Monday was not impressed by a petition that sought a separate commission for the Scheduled Tribes (STs). The bench, comprising Chief Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice N. Tukaramji, however, adjourned a writ plea at the instance of the petitioner’s counsel, seeking a direction to the government to establish the TS Commission for Schedule Tribes to safeguard the interest of the community. Rapolu Bhaskar, advocate, filed the petition seeking a mandamus for the appointment of a commission exclusively to deal with the interests of STs. Before adjourning the matter, the Chief Justice pointed out that under the law a common commission for SCs and STs was envisaged and that there appeared to be no merit in the relief sought.

Don’t pull down hoardings: HC to Nizampet municipality

Justice N.V. Shravan Kumar on Monday directed the Nizampet municipality not to interfere with the advertisement ‘lollypop’ posters of a contractor in the city’s Pragatinagar. The judge made the interim order while taking on file a writ petition filed by Ch. Shravani, a resident of the colony, who stated that she had a subsisting licence until 2023. When an earlier attempt was made to dislodge the petitioners’ hoardings, the High Court granted an order of status quo by observing the need for the issuance of notice. In the present round, the petitioner complained that no notice was issued to the petitioner nor was any proceeding issued for dislodging the petitioner. She alleged that this is done to accommodate a third party, which is patently arbitrary and illegal. Deepak Misra, counsel for the petitioner, pointed out that the officials of the municipality came to the spot and threatened to pull down the hoardings without the authority of law.

HC notice on IIT admissions

Justice M. Sudheer Kumar of the Telangana High Court directed the chairman of Joint Seat Allocation Authority (JoSAA) to file its reply in a writ plea dealing with admissions to the IIT. The judge was hearing a writ petition filed by Eslavath Vamshi Kalyan, a student, complaining of non-confirmation of his seat at the Indian Institute of Technology, Dharwad. The petitioner alleged that the seat acceptance fee (SAF) was not paid due to a technical error caused beyond the control of the petitioner and it was further prayed to allot him the seat as per the initial seat allotment intimation slip in Round-I counselling. The respondents contended that failure to pay SAF within the specified time led to the cancelation of the seat. Considering the submissions of counsels, the judge directed the respondents to file their reply by July 14. The judge will hear the matter on July 18.

HC notice in writ about illegal constructions

Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy of the Telangana High Court on Monday directed the Peddapapaihpalli panchayat in Huzurbad mandal of Karimnagar district to take stringent action against illegal constructions. The direction came in a writ petition filed questioning the inaction of the panchayat authorities, including the district panchayat officer and mandal panchayat officer, in taking action on the representation against illegal construction. The petitioner, Katta Kishan Rao, submitted that the land was being grabbed by private parties for construction and the authorities have been turning a blind eye. The petitioner's counsel contended that a civil suit is pending between the petitioner and the encroachers and pending injunction orders the encroachers were continuing with the construction activity. The authorities were hand in glove in the illegal activity, which was being carried out without permission. The court directed to file an action taken report by the next date of hearing.

HC starts hearing appeal on Green Lands land

A two-judge bench of the Telangana High Court heard inconclusively a writ appeal of the state government on the land surrounding the prestigious Green Land guest house in Begumpet. Earlier, the government suffered a mandamus where the court declared that the government, more particularly the directorate of protocol, was interfering with the peaceful possession of over 3,500 sq. yards belonging to the petitioners, Dr Chandra Rekha Vig and Rajesh Jain filed the writ petition contending successfully that the land in question belonged to them and that an earlier attempt to claim it as government land was negated by the special court under the land grabbing Act. Advocate General B.S. Prasad, appearing for the government, contended that the writ petition was in the nature of a civil suit. He said that it was an improper attempt on the part of the writ petitioners to grab precious government land and that the single judge erred in entertaining the writ petition and further allowing it. The court was probing into the exact location of the claimed land qua the stated survey numbers. The bench of Justice T. Vinod Kumar and Justice Pulla Karthik will continue hearing the matter on Tuesday.

Trace out 16-year-old: HC

A two-judge bench of the Telangana High Court on Monday directed the police to trace a missing person in a case of habeas corpus. The bench of Justice K. Lakshman and Justice P. Sree Sudha was dealing with a plea filed by the father of a sixteen-year-old.  The petitioner contended that the boy had been missing since 2019. He complained that despite registering an FIR and several representations in this regard, the police have not put in sufficient effort to trace the boy. The government pleader replied that a special investigating team was constituted for the sole purpose of tracing out the boy and reports have been filed in the form of additional affidavit. The bench directed the authorities to make sufficient efforts and to trace out and produce the missing person on August 1.

Special tribunal order set aside by HC

Justice S. Nanda of the Telangana High Court set aside an order of the special tribunal, Komaram Bheem Asifabad district, constituted under Telangana Rights in Land and Pattadar Passbook Act 1971. The judge was dealing with a writ petition filed by Mohd Abdul Azeem and another claiming ownership of over 28 acres of land in Manjampally village and that he also had his name reflected in the pattadar passbooks. Metpalli Vengal Rao preferred an appeal against the mutation in the name of the petitioner under the new Act, the matter was transferred to the special tribunal. The tribunal posted the matter to June 14, 2021, but allowed the appeal on June 11. The judge faulted the manner in which the special tribunal acted and said it was contrary to the earlier order of the High Court, which remanded the matter to the tribunal for fresh hearing after giving an opportunity of hearing to the parties. The judge found the order impugned as “been predetermined against the petitioners and is totally biased and in clear violation of principles on natural justice.”