Preventing the press from entering Secretariat is atrocious stated Telangana High Court

Hyderabad: The High Court on Friday expressed displeasure against the State government and stated that there is no law made, there is no rule made, there are no restrictions and you are just physically preventing the journalists from entering the Secretariat. It's absolutely atrocious, the Court added.

Moreover, Justice Challa enquired about what is the logic in preventing the press personnel from entering the Secretariat premises. Do take the media personnel in a scheduled time in a van inside the Secretariat premises, let them take snaps and videography for an hour or two, what is your problem, the Court questioned.

Hearing upon a Writ Petition by the Single Division Bench Headed by Justice Challa Kodandaram on Friday filed by VIL Media Pvt limited represented by G. Sampath sought directions to the State Government to allow journalists/Press to cover and report/telecast the demolition of Secretariat building.

The Court has directed the State Government not to interfere with the petitioner or surrounding building owners to the Secretariat from taking snaps/visuals of the demolition site from the neighbourhood buildings.

Petitioner Counsel Vasireddy Naveen Kumar informed the Court that police are threatening the neighbourhood buildings owners around the Secretariat, not to allow the press/media persons from taking snaps and visuals of the demolition site from their buildings.

Advocate General Banda Shivananda Prasad informed the Court that the Government is ready to issue media bulletins and snaps of the demolition every day. Arguing on the maintainability of the petitioner who is a corporate entity urges the court that an entity cannot ask the relief to allow the press/journalists to cover and report the demolition of the Secretariat building. Further, looking at the petition itself states that it is motivated, AG said.

Petitioner Counsel Naveen Kumar informed the Court that Media Bulletin is not acceptable from the Government. The very purpose of the petition is coverage, not to take the information. The people are already suspecting the Covid-19 health bulletins, which the Government releases daily, that too after the direction from the High Court, he alleged.

Justice Challa Kodandaram directed the State in the light of the respective submissions the affairs between the two private individuals cannot be regulated by the State without there being a law. And no force as such can be exempted on the private persons even by the police or by the State authorities. As long as the private individual's affairs are conducted in a lawful manner.

The State and State authorities are directed not to interfere with the petitioners or any press members by providing access to the surrounding buildings anywhere, the Court ordered. The High Court bench adjourned the plea for Saturday.

'Conduct enquiry against pvt hospital that charged excess fee'

The High Court single division bench headed by Justice T. Vinod Kumar on Friday permitted urgent motion and heard the writ petition filed by Kondapuram Lavanya, hails from Balanagar, RR District alleging that a private hospital is not giving her husband's dead body due to non-payment of hospital fee.

The Counsel for the respondent for Continental Hospital, Nanakramguda, Hyderabad informed the Court that the patient Kondapuram Mohan Rao died in the hospital while undergoing treatment on Wednesday and the body was handed over and completed the cremation at about 1.20 pm on Friday.

Counsel for the petitioner Yelamanjula Balaji alleged that the hospital charged an excess fee for the treatment and moreover, the hospital demanded to pay balance Rs 6.5 lakh for giving dead body to the wife of the deceased, which is illegal, arbitrary and violation of Article 21 of the constitution of India.

Justice T.Vinod Kumar directed the Director of Public Health and DM&HO, R.R district to conduct an enquiry against Continental Hospital about high medical charges to the Covid-19 patient and died who is the husband of the petitioner.

The Court directed the State government and Continental Hospital to file a counter and posted the matter after six weeks.