Gag on phone-tapping: BRS knocks on HC doors
Hyderabad: While a two-judge panel of the Telangana High Court closed a writ plea by the BRS seeking directions to the Election Commission of India (ECI) to gag discussions and references to the phone-tapping incidents, a single judge in an independent development directed the registry to verify and post a similar case before the appropriate court. Earlier in the day, a panel of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice J. Anil Kumar recorded a statement of the senior counsel appearing for the ECI that it would pass orders on a grievance of the BRS. The BRS said it had lodged a complaint seeking directions to all political parties and its leaders to refrain from making derogatory and defamatory remarks based on unverified and unsubstantiated statements on the phone-tapping issue against the petitioner and its members which were in violation of the model code of conduct, the ECI’s guidelines and the Representation of Peoples Act 1951. ECI senior counsel submitted that action would be taken on the petitioner’s representation in accordance with the law by Friday. The panel accordingly closed the writ plea. Later in the day, Justice N.V. Shravan Kumar heard a writ plea filed by the BRS, represented by its secretary M. Sreenivas Reddy, complaining that the Union ministry of electronics and the I&B ministry had failed to act upon a complaint raised by the party. According to the petitioner, BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao was being unjustly accused of involvement in the phone-tapping controversy. It was alleged that a section of the media was discussing involvement of the BRS leadership without basis. Senior counsel, appearing for the petitioner, pointed out that the authorities had failed to delete and direct removal/block derogatory and defamatory videos in connection with the case. The petitioner arrayed Google, YouTube, ABN Andhra Jyothi, NDTV and Siti Network among the respondents. Even as the judge was hearing the matter, the deputy solicitor general brought to the notice of the court that the subject matter was allotted to a different judge and accordingly it must be placed before the appropriate judge.
HC seeks report on school facilities
A two-judge panel of the Telangana High Court, comprising Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice J. Anil Kumar, on Thursday directed the government to take necessary steps to ensure hygienic kitchens, 52,000 toilets and 30,000 bathrooms in residential schools on or before the commencement of the next academic year. The panel required the government to place its report on the matter on June 12. The panel was dealing with a PIL filed by Keethineedi Akhil Sri Guru Teja attributing the death of three children and cases of food poisoning in residential schools and hostels to improper governance. The Chief Justice said that that over 7.58 lakh students of SC, ST, BC and minorities studying in these residential schools are national property. Chikkudu Prabhakar, counsel for the petitioner, alleged that failure on the part of the government to comply with earlier directions had resulted in the loss of lives. He said that the manner in which the government consistently overlooked the student community was not only defeating their rights but also jeopardising their life and future.
No interim relief in GST case
The Telangana High Court refused protection from arrest and coercive steps in a case relating to non-payment of GST. A panel, comprising Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice N. Tukaramji, was dealing with a plea filed by Maruti Ispat and Energy Private Limited. The petitioner challenged the vires of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017 and the corresponding provisions of the Telangana Goods and Services Tax Act 2017. According to the petitioners, the provision provided for input tax credit only in cases where the supplier produced the invoice and proof of having paid GST. The said rovision was challenged on various grounds. The panel was of the opinion that it was not required to go into the issues at the present stage. Dominique Fernandes, counsel for revenue, contended that the provisions under challenge had been upheld by the Kerala High Court. The panel also rejected a similar relief sought by Navadurga Industries where the court found that there was no proof that the authorities were taking coercive steps or there was a threat of arrest.