TSPSC question paper leak case adjourned for orders on April 28

Hyderabad: Justice BollamVijaysen Reddy of the Telangana High Court on Monday adjourned the writ petition filed by Balmoori Venkat Narsing Rao, TS NSUI president, and two others seeking CBI inquiry into TSPSC paper leak case for orders.

Justice Reddy said he will pass orders on whether investigation should be handed over to CBI or continued by SIT or if judicial guidelines if necessary are required to be passed for investigation of the case.

The State filed an additional status report on Monday. Justice Reddy will go through reports and contentions of the petitioners and pass orders.

Vivek Thanka, senior counsel, Supreme Court and Congress Legal Cell president, argued that 80 per cent of students appearing for the TSPSC exams are from economically lower and middle classes; they face desperate situation due to the leak.

He stated that the case involved ramifications at international level and inter-State level. "The investigation should be independent and transparent."

Advocate-General Banda Shivananda Prasad submitted that the investigation was going on proper lines and a report of the Central Forensic Science Laboratory, Delhi, was yet to come. "It is not the first paper leak case; it happened in many States; but I am not justifying it", he said,

In reply to Prasad's submissions Justice Reddy observed "if our daughter or son is writing the exams, we will know the pain faced by students.

The AG said the State has cancelled the examinations in larger interest of students and will take all necessary measures to conduct re-examinations in a more transparent manner. "The righteous and meritorious students who got more marks will also participate and give good performance again".

Thanka argued that the chief of the SIT (AR Srinivas, Additional CP Crimes Hyderabad) is facing contempt in the court and the petitioners are questioning the credibility of the investigation.

In reply to the senior counsel, the AG submitted that he is a senior IPS officer with good service track record and is senior among State IPS Officers.

The hearing was adjourned to April 28 for orders.

Teenmaar Mallanna files writ seeking direction to Medipally police to open his Q News office

Journalist Chintapandu Naveen Kumar @ Teenmaar Mallanna has filed a writ petition in the high court seeking a direction to the Station House Officer, Medipally, Medchal-Malkajgiri district, to open the Q-News office located at first floor, Nirmal Kuteen Heights, Uppal, which was locked by the police.

The petitioner contended that the Telangana police, rather than performing their legitimate duty, are acting as agents of the BRS government. About 100 cases have been registered against the petitioner for telecasting news about misuse of crores of rupees public money by the government in construction of irrigation projects, allotment of government contracts in lieu of kickbacks. The petitioner informed the court that his office was ransacked, vandalised by some miscreants on March 19. On a complaint the police came to Q News office and seized computers, hard discs and equipment which has important information against top leaders of the government. The SHO Medipally, after seizing material from office, had locked it. Despite making a request to ACP, the office has not been unlocked. The petitioner sought a direction to SHO Medipally to open the office or authorise the petitioner to open the office.

Hearing of the petition may come up before the single bench comprising Justice Vijaysen Reddy on Tuesday.