HYDERABAD: In a significant development, the infamous Yeleru scam case was referred to a three-judge bench of Hyderabad High Court to hear into the alleged irregularities that took place in payment of compensation and land acquisition for digging Yeleru canal in Visakhapatnam district. A division bench of the HC comprising Chief Justice TBN Radhakrishnan and Justice SV Bhatt passed this order on Saturday. The bench also decided whether to hear the case or not in view of judgments delivered by courts on the issue. The new bench will hear the case on December 20.
When the scam broke out in 1996, allegations flew against court staff for large-scale irregularities in land compensation payment. In 1998, the then CB-CID conducted an enquiry and submitted a report to the HC. Taking the report into consideration, a committee was formed with two HC judges to hear the case.
A report was submitted to the then HC Chief Justice. The HC bench made it clear that as the irregularities took place in the then sub-courts of Anakapalli and Chodavaram, only the Visakhapatnam district judge was empowered to hear the case under CrPC Section 340 and that complaints can be lodged against those responsible in the concerned local court.
Meanwhile, those facing corruption charges approached the HC contending that the district judge has no power to hear appeals against judgments of the sub-courts. Agreeing with their arguments, the then HC bench set aside the orders passed by the district judge on September 27, 2002. The State government knocked on the doors of the Supreme Court, which upheld the HC order.
After the SC verdict, some accused approached the Visakhapatnam III Additional Sessions Court in 2007 urging it to set aside the cases filed against them based on district judge’s complaint. When relief was granted to the said accused, some officers filed an appeal before the HC challenging the sessions court’s order. In the light of contradictory judgments, the matter has now been referred to a three-judge bench.