High Court grants anticipatory bail to Dubbaka MLA

Hyderabad: Justice Ujjal Bhuyan J on Wednesday granted anticipatory bail to BJP MLA M Raghunandan Rao with certain conditions. Shashi Kiran, counsel for the petitioner, sought anticipatory bail for Rao. When the Judge asked the counsel as to why he did not approached the court earlier as the case was registered in January 2021? The counsel replied that the petitioner was not apprehended earlier. But going by the political situation in the State, the petitioner, who is an MLA, now fears arrest. Moreover, a lower court had rejected his bail plea.

The counsel further furnished the order copy granting anticipatory bail to Bandi Sanjay, MP, BJP in the same crime, registered at Matamally police station in Suryapet district and prayed the court to grant the same order to the petitioner MLA.

The Judge, after hearing the contentions of the counsel for the petitioner, granted anticipatory bail.

The Judge, in his order, said that in the event of the arrest of M Raghunandan Rao, the police shall release him on furnishing a personal bond of Rs 25,000 with two sureties for a like sum to the satisfaction of the Station House Officer, Matampally police station.

The Judge also directed the MLA to cooperate with the investigation in the case and to appear before the concerned Investigating Officer as and when required. The criminal petition filed by the MLA was disposed of.

TS directed to fill vacancies in prisons within 2 months High Court orders the government to ensure that the prisons are not crowded as it amounts to human rights violations

Hyderabad: The Division Bench headed by Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Abhinand Kumar Shavili on Wednesday directed the State government to issue notification for filling up of various posts in State prisons within a period of 2 months and ensure that the process of recruitment concludes at the earliest.

The Division Bench was adjudicating the plea seeking implementation of the Supreme Court directions. The SC, in its orders dated May 8, 2018 had directed the Telangana and AP governments to ensure that there was no overcrowding of prisoners in prisons as overcrowding was well beyond 100 per cent and 150 per cent in prisons and this was a violation of human rights. Further, the Supreme Court had directed the States to ensure that adequate staff in prisons was recruited to maintain good administration.

The State government has filed a detailed reply affidavit before the court stating that the prisoners' population in prisons in TS was 5,825 as against the capacity of 7,270 as on February 2018. The Chief Justice Bench disposed the plea.