Hyderabad HC stays NHRC Order on Seshachalam Encounter deaths

Hyderabad: The Hyderabad High Court on Friday stayed the National Human Rights Commission order for a CBI probe into Seshachalam encounter in which 20 alleged red sander smugglers were killed.

The NHRC had directed AP to pay Rs 5 lakh to each of the deceased family within eight weeks and report compliance.

The NHRC on May 29 while ordering the CBI probe and compensation to the dependents of each of the family directed the chief secretary and DGP of the state to appear before it on June 9 at 11 am to furnish information and produce records.

The AP government has challenged this order before the High Court contending that the proceedings of the NHRC are contrary to the guidelines of the Supreme Court with regard to jurisdiction of the commission.

A division bench comprising acting Chief Justice Dilip B. Bhosale and Justice S.V. Bhatt was hearing the matter. Dammalapati Srinivas, additional advocate general of the AP, submitted that initiation of proceedings suo motu by the commission is itself unwarranted as the matter was already seized by the Hyderabad High Court through a PIL and the AP State Human Rights Commission.

He said that the HC was already monitoring the probe being carried out by the Special Investigation Team in this case and issued a series of directions to it including conducting a fresh autopsy on the bodies of six persons in the encounter.

He contended that the proceedings of the NHRC were directly in violation of Clause (B) of Section 12 of the Protection of Human Rights Act 1993, as the relevant provision specifies that the commission shall intervene in any proceedings involving any allegation of violation of human rights pending before a court with the approval of such court.

He submitted that the allegation of the NHRC that the investigation authorities are not sharing any information with it as baseless as the HC has already restrained them from divulging any such information without the permission of the court.

Auto registration: Notices for TS

A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Dilip B. Bhosale and Justice S.B. Bhatt of the Hyderabad High Court issued notices to the TS government and auto dealers on a petition challenging sale of autorickshaws on fabricated documents that allow them to get registered.

Nagole Auto Drivers Welfare Association moved the petition stating that RTA authorities in the GHMC limits were allowing the fake registration of autorickshaws with the connivance of certain auto dealers.

Surya Satish, counsel for the petitioners told the court that the state government has issued a GO in 2012 permitting sale of 20,000 autorickshaws in GHMC limits and the government put conditions that the autorickshaws shall be registered in the name person who is having of a valid autorickshaw driving badge.

He said later the auto dealers succeeded in changing the condition that allowed them to sell the autorickshaws to anyone having a driving licence and it resulted in sale of autorickshaws on benami names and also registration of two autorickshaws with the same number. The bench ordered the principal secretary to transport department and respondents to file their counter affidavits by June 29.