Hyderabad: Pension Claim of Freedom Fighter

 Hyderabad: Justice C.V. Bhaskar Reddy of the Telangana High Court directed the Khammam collector to verify the pension claim of an 88-year-old freedom fighter within eight weeks. The judge was dealing with a writ plea filed by Muvva Koteswara Rao challenging the action of the respondent in cancelling his freedom fighter’s pension. The petitioner alleged that he had participated in the Telangana Rebellion Movement of 1944-46 against the Nizams and was getting the sanctioned pension by the government since 2004. The petitioner further alleged that his pension was cancelled without any notice based on a complaint by an individual. After hearing the petitioner, the judge remarked that the cancellation of the pension without inquiry amounts to violation of principles of natural justice. He directed the authorities to verify the claim of the petitioner and disposed the writ plea.

Application for trust board

Justice N.V. Shravan Kumar of the Telangana High Court entertained a writ plea challenging a notification inviting applications for the constitution of a non-hereditary trust board of Sri Mahadev Hanuman Temple situated at Chudi Bazaar, Nampally, Hyderabad. The judge was dealing with a writ plea filed by Aditya Sahu. The petitioner alleged that the deputy commissioner of the endowments department in June, 2024 issued a notification inviting applications for the constitution of a non-hereditary trust board of the temple which he said was unlawful. He contended that he was a hereditary trustee as his great-grandfather was the founder of the temple and the same was recognised by the endowments department. Counsel for the petitioner argued that affairs of any temple having an income of less than Rs 50,000 were to be managed by the temple trustees themselves. He alleged that overlooking this requirement, the notification was issued by the endowments department. The judge questioned the petitioner whether the accounts of the temple were ever audited and whether this claim of the petitioner was based on any cogent evidence which goes to show that the temple earns less than Rs 50,000. The court observed that temples are established to serve as public purpose and cannot be conducted as a company or business centres. The judge, after hearing both the parties, directed the counsel representing endowments department to seek instructions and posted the matter for further adjudication.

HC bail for person in 480 kg ganja case

Justice Juvvadi Sridevi of the Telangana High Court granted bail to two persons arrested for allegedly being in possession of 483.38 kg of ganja along with other accused. The judge was dealing with a bail petition filed by Gummadelli Arjun and Pangi Sunil Kumar. The case of the prosecution is that the petitioners along with other co-accused were found in possession of ganja and were arrested and remanded to judicial custody. The counsel for the petitioners pointed out that the ganja was seized from the possession of other co-accused and not from the petitioners. The counsel also brought to the attention of the judge that one of the co-accused in the crime was granted bail by the trial court and most of the investigation in the case has been completed, and hence, prayed for grant of bail. The Additional Public Prosecutor (APP) opposed the bail application on various grounds. After hearing the petitioner and the APP, the judge deemed it fit to grant bail to the petitioners as major part of the investigation was completed and other co-accused was granted bail by the trial court for the same offence.

Pension rules challenged in HC

A division bench of the Telangana High Court comprising Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Namavarpu Rajeshwar Rao on Tuesday took on file a writ petition filed by pensioners of the revenue department challenging Rule 18 of the Commutation of Pension Rules 1944. The petition was filed by 19 affected revenue department pensioners whose grievance was against the recovery of commuted pension for 15 years. Senior counsel P. Suresh Reddy, representing the petitioners, submitted that the entire commuted pension along with interest is being completely recovered after completing 11 years three months in recovery, hence the recovery by the department for 15 years is not justice. It was further contented that the recovery rate of interest by the government is far more exceeding than the commercial agencies and that the same is causing undue enrichment to the state at the cost of the pentioner not having a rational objective. The bench directed the revenue and finance departments to seek instructions and posted the matter to September 18 for further hearing.