Hyderabad: A two-judge panel of the Telangana High Court required an expert panel to revisit the Durgam Cheruvu and verify the contents of the action taken report submitted by the state government to the court. The PIL panel suo motu took on file a news item with regards to protecting, restoring and protecting the Durgam Cheruvu from the pollution caused due to the thousands of dead fish floating in the lake, and the sewage flowing from the houses being let directly into the lake. The panel earlier had appointed an expert committee comprising Dr Atul Narayan Vaidya, director of the National Environment Engineering Research Institute, Nagpur, principal secretary, irrigation and command area development department, and Shanti Vardhani, secretary, High Court Legal Services Committee to inspect and submit a report with regard to causes of pollution and the measures which are required to undertaken to protect and preserve the lake. On Wednesday, the panel comprising Chief Justice Aloke Aradhe and Justice J Anil Kumar faulted the state government for generalities galore in the report. The panel pointedly asked the Advocate General as to why the report was quiet on the milestones. Taking on record the statement that show cause notices were issued, the panel pointed out that it was open-ended without details of when action will be taken. The bench, adjourning the matter, directed the expert committee to visit, inspect, and submit a report within a period of six weeks.
Disha encounter: Police move HC against commission report
Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy of the Telangana High Court on Wednesday started hearing a bunch of writ pleas against the findings and observations of the Justice V.S. Sirpurkar Commission which inquired into the circumstances of the police encounter following the sensational Disha rape case. Days after the alleged accused were apprehended, they became victims of an “encounter”. While it is the case of the police that the encounter was a consequence of the victims attempting to attack the police and escape from custody, there was an uproar on the encounter being staged.
It was alleged that it was a staged fake encounter aimed at “instant justice”. While opinions were sharply divided on the credibility of the action, the Apex Court directed an inquiry by a three-member committee headed by retired Supreme Court Justice V.S. Sirpurkar.
The commission faulted the police officers who were involved in the incident. Amicus curie D. Prakash Reddy argued before the panel that a case of murder should be booked against the 10 police officers who took part in the alleged encounter The encounter case came up before a two-member panel of the High Court following a direction by the Apex Court before which the commission report was placed. The Telangana State Police Officers Association, the father of the victim, and the Indian Association of people’s Lawyers were all heard by the two-judge panel. The inquiry commission found that it was a fake encounter and it had recommended penal action against the police officers involved.
Earlier, the panel, however, upheld the right of the police officers to be heard and said that they would be heard in the course of the case. While so, nine of the persons moved independent writ petitions challenging the findings of the commission. The petitioners are Jaruplavath Pandu, A. Sreedhar Kumar, Kocher A. Ravi, Mohammad Sirajuddin, Shaik Lal Madhar, Devarashetty Srikanth, Konda Narasimha Reddy, Balu Rathod and Dharamkar Janakiram. A battery of senior counsels — P. Sri Raghu Ram, Hamendernath Reddy, Rachana Reddy and Vivek Reddy — appearing for the petitioner were up in unison alleging violation of the law of principles of natural justice. The judge will continue to hear the matter on Thursday.
Festival committee for Shivalaya Pratishta gets HC nod
Justice N.V. Shravan Kumar of the Telangana High Court constituted a six-member festival committee to ensure the conduct and institution of the Dwaja Sthambham and temple Prathishta programme of the Swayambhu Siva Lingam at Abdullapurmet Mandal of Ranga Reddy district. The judge was dealing with two writ petitions filed by the ex-sarpanch of the village who contended that he constituted a committee, and collected donations, for the construction of the Shivalayam for the Swayambhu Siva Lingam which is in existence under the rocks. This temple is next to the Laxmi Narasimha Temple and the two temples have been functioning for the last 400 years.
It is contended that Chettigari Anjaneyulu Goud had instigated the endowments department who are stopping the construction work. It is also contended that it is not a notified temple and assistant commissioner, endowments department has filed a copy of instructions and submitted that the dates fixed by the petitioners for the opening ceremony were not auspicious and as such they have contacted the Priests of Sharadha Peetam and they have informed to take up the Temple Prathishta Programme from March 25 to March 27 and the department is taking necessary action for appointment of an executive officer to the subject temple and the programme will be conducted in a grand manner duly inviting all the villagers of Gowrelly. On consensus, Justice Shravan Kumar constituted a six-man committee as the festival committee and they shall participate and oversee the ceremony.
Deputy commissioner of the endowments department was directed to ensure and administer the opening ceremonies which shall be performed from March 20 to March 22 and also ensure that the entire programme would be conducted without any hindrance while upkeeping peace and tranquillity.
It is also directed that the SHO and SI of Nagole shall ensure that the opening of the temple would be conducted in a peaceful and harmonious manner. It is also made clear that festival committee members shall cooperate with the authorities in the temple inauguration programme scheduled from March 20 to March 22.
