Telangana High Court reserves order in MLA's suspension case

Hyderabad: Justice Shameem Akhter of High Court reserved his orders in the writ petition filed by the three BJP MLAs, who are under suspension from the ongoing Telangana Legislative Assembly Budget session. While reserving orders, the Judge informed the Advocate General Banda Shivananda Prasad and petitioners counsel D Prakash Reddy that he would see the video submitted by the petitioners, wherein the entire episode of how the three BJP MLAs were suspended from the House.

The three BJP MLAs were permitted by Justice Shameem Akhter to serve the notice issued by the court on Assembly Secretary, Narasimha Charyulu. Despite their best efforts, they could not serve the notice. Hence, the petitioners have filed a fresh writ petition in the court on Thursday informing the same to the court.

The petitioners informed the court that the police at the Assembly Gate and the Marshals restrained Vamshi Krishna, personal assistant of MLA Raghunandan Rao, one of the petitioners, from entering the Assembly despite showing his identity card and the court order.

During the course of adjudication, Justice Shameem Akhter questioned the Advocate General as to why the special messenger from the High Court Registry as well as the personal assistant of Raghunandan Rao could not serve the notice on the Assembly Secretary? The petitioners counsel further stated that as Assembly Secretary's cell phone was switched off, they even sent the notice on WhatsApp to him.

Vanama's son granted bail

Hyderabad: Justice Lalitha Kanneganti on Thursday has granted bail to Vanama Raghavendra Rao, son of TRS MLA from Bhadradri-Kothagudem Vanama Venkateshwara Rao, accused in a crime registered at Palvoncha police station with certain conditions and directed the petitioner to appear before the concerned police station every Sunday. Vanama Raghavendra Rao was involved in 11 cases and most of the cases were grave in nature in which the victims died due to the harassment and pressure brought by Vanama Raghavendra Rao. He filed the criminal petition in the High Court on February 1, seeking a direction to enlarge him on bail.

However, the court refused to grant him bail going by the veracity of the cases which were booked against him and also on the contentions of Public Prosecutor, who stated that most of the cases in which the petitioner was involved were at the stage of investigation and if granted bail, the petitioner might influence the witnesses.

CS gets relief in contempt case

Hyderabad: The High Court Division Bench of Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice Venkateshwar Reddy stayed Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar's appearance before the Central Administrative Tribunal Hyderabad Bench in a contempt case.

The Chief Secretary was due to appear before the CAT, Hyderabad Bench on Friday for not accommodating Abhishek Mohanty IPS, AP cadre in Telangana State, despite the orders of the CAT, which had directed Somesh Kumar to accommodate Mohanty duly reminding him that the Chief Secretary himself was a beneficiary of the CAT order due to which he was serving in the Telangana State as the Chief Secretary.

It has been more than nine months that Mohanty, Additional Superintendent, Chittoor district has been relieved from the Andhra Pradesh State and disowned by the Telangana government despite there being an order of the CAT directing the Telangana government to accommodate him in the Telangana State. When the State government did not take a decision even after a period of nine months, Mohanty filed a contempt case before the CAT seeking contempt proceedings against the CS for not implementing its orders.

The CAT took serious note of the contents of the case and directed the Chief Secretary to appear before it on February 25, 2022 and explain reasons for not accommodating him. Though, Somesh Kumar appeared before the CAT virtually and informed it that the issue of accommodating Abhishek Mohanty has been informed to the Central government which has to take a decision. The CAT Bench, while brushing aside his contentions, directed him to take a decision or else face contempt proceedings. On Thursday, Advocate General Banda Shivananda Prasad appeared before the Division Bench representing Somesh Kumar and prayed the court to stay CAT order in the contempt case, posted to Friday.

Acceding to the prayer of the Advocate General, Justice Ujjal Bhuyan Bench stayed the appearance of CS before CAT on Friday, only after Advocate General assured the court that he will pass on the advice of the Division Bench that Abhishek Mohanty shall be accommodated in the Telangana State. The matter was adjourned to March 15, for further hearing.