HC directs ECI to furnish records on Gangula’s poll expenditure in 2018

The Telangana High Court’s single bench of Justice Dr. Sumalatha on Thursday, while hearing the petition challenging the election of Gangula Kamalakar, BRS legislator in 2018 directed the HC registry to address a letter to ECI to send records pertaining to the poll expenditure incurred by him. Kamalakar won from 26-Karimnagar Assembly constituency. The election was held on December 7, 2018 and he was declared as the winning candidate on December 11.

The court directed the ECI to send the records through a person and produce them in by September 5. The Judge was hearing the petition filed by Ponnam Prabhakar, who contested the elections on a Congress ticket and lost.Prabhakar challenged the election of Kamalakar.

Hearing in the case was adjourned to September 5

Custodial death in Gachibowli PS: HC asks police to produce CCTV footage

Court directs govt to file affidavit on status of CCTV installation in all police stations; asks govt to share report filed in SC on installation of CCTV cameras in all PSs. The High Court’s division bench, comprising Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice T Vinod Kumar on Thursday directed the police to produce the CCTV footage dated July 7, 2023, when Nitish Kumar, a native of Bihar, working as a security guard in a construction company at Nanakramguda, under the jurisdiction of Gachibowli police station, died due to alleged police brutality.

The CJ, after hearing the contention of Additional A-G Ramchander Rao that Kumar died due to cardiac arrest, as it was supported by a medical report, directed AAG to produce the CCTV footage to enable judges to peruse it either in their chambers or in the open court hall. During the hearing of the suo motu PIL on ‘lock-up’ death of Kumar Justice Vinod Kumar posed a query to Rao whether the government has filed its report before the apex court on “Installation of CCTV Cameras in all police stations in the State”. The SC, while dealing with the SLP 3542/2020, directed the government to file a report on the installation of CCTV cameras in all PSs. If the State has filed a report the judge directed AAG to share a copy.

The CJ during the hearing observed the apex aourt in Shahi Mohammed Vs., State of Himachal Pradesh and in another judgment emphasised that all States should ensure installation of CCTV cameras in all PSs for transparency in investigation.

The CJ bench was hearing the suo motu WP by converting a report in an English daily, which highlighted the news of an alleged custodial death of Kumar. Kumar had restrained workers of the construction company from going out after 11 pm as per rules. This caused a scuffle between him and workers, following which the police took him to PS for interrogation. Rapolu Bhaskar, advocate, addressed a letter to the CJ annexing the report, seeking HC intervention on the lock up death of a poor security guard who was kept in the PS for three days for interrogation, who later succumbed due to police brutality. He sought a probe into the death, payment of compensation of Rs. 50,000 to the dependants, initiate action against the police responsible for the death.

Hearing in the case was adjourned by three weeks.

HC directs govt to take advance measures to avert loss of life & property due to floods

Govt asked to file status report on relief measures provided to flood victims

The HC division bench on Thursday directed the government to take advance measures to ensure that no citizen faces any sort of inconvenience due to floods.

According to latest IMD communique, floods will again occur in the State shortly. The IMD issued a warning to the State on impending floods and alerted the State to make all arrangements in advance to avert loss of life, property, as the State has already witnessed huge loss of life, property due to recent floods.

Chikkudu Prabhakar, counsel for the petitioner in the PIL, informed the court the IMD has issued an alert to the State of the impending floods once again. In view of the alert he prayed the court to direct the State to take all preventive measures to avert any sort of loss to life and property. Harender Pershad, Special GP, told the court the State is taking all steps to extend medical aid, relocating the flood-affected persons to safer places, paying ex-gratia of Rs. 4 lakh each to the kin. The endeavour of the State will continue.

The SGP said of 49 families, the State paid ex-gratia of Rs. 4 lakh to 23 families; efforts are on to identify the remaining. He assured the court the ex-gratia and other help will be extended to them. The bench was adjudicating the PIL filed by Dr. Cheruku Sudhakar, seeking directions to the Union of India and the State government to pay compensation, ex-gratia to the families of all the deceased farmers/citizens, who died due to heavy floods in 2020 and also in the recent floods.

During the heavy floods in 2020 and 2023, farmers and citizens of almost all districts of the State, lost their crop; citizens lost their lives and articles. Hearing in the case was adjourned to August 22.

Court asks govt when it will appoint chairman & members of State Finance Commission

The HC division directed the government to inform by which date it will appoint the chairman and members to the Telangana State Finance Commission. Satyam Reddy, senior counsel, appeared for the petitioner “Forum for Good Governance” an NGO, which has filed the plea seeking direction to the government to appoint the chairman and members to SFC as required under the Constitution. Satyam Reddy, senior counsel, informed the court the State is not taking any tangible steps in making the appointments. Rather than taking time from the court, the government is not doing anything in the issue. Last year also when the petitioner approached the HC, seeking its intervention in the issue, the State had constituted the SFC the term of which expired in 2022. After that it has no chairman and members, the counsel contended.

The CJ, not agreeing with the contentions of the counsel, observed that apart from the above task, the State is taking all measures to help the flood victims, relocating the displaced persons, extending them medical aid, financial help. It is also taking steps in strengthening government hospitals across the State by posting sufficient doctors, staff, equipment so that people have access to timely medical aid.

Hearing in the case was adjourned to August 31.