HYDERABAD: In a relief to G Vivekanand and T Shesh Narayan, the Hyderabad High Court on Thursday suspended the orders of the Ombudsman of Hyderabad Cricket Association in disqualifying Vivekanand and Shesh Narayan from the posts of HCA president and secretary, respectively. Justice A V Sesha Sai was passing this interim order in petitions filed separately by Vivekanand and Shesh Narayan challenging the order of HCA Ombudsman.
Recently, HCA ombudsman Justice L Narasimha Reddy disqualified both of them while adjudicating the complaints filed by Mohd Azharuddin, V Hanumantha Rao, Babu Rao and others. They filed complaints contending that there is conflict of interest in the case of Vivek and that Shesh Narayan was named as an accused in charge sheet pertaining to corruption case. Aggrieved with the same, both of them moved the high court for relief.
Senior counsel Sri Raghuram, appearing for Vivek, told the court that his client was appointed as the state government advisor even before he got elected as HCA president. Though he was conferred with cabinet rank status he was not a minister in the state cabinet nor a government servant, but would provide services as an advisor. In fact, the ombudsman wrongly considered the present post as an office of profit and that he has no jurisdiction to entertain this aspect also, he pointed out. Advocate Surya Satish, appearing for Shesh Narayan, submitted that the impugned order of declaring a person who was figured as an accused in the charge sheet as ’ineligible’ was contrary to the orders of Supreme Court. In fact, the charges against his client were not framed till date. If the courts convicts then only he would become ineligible to hold a secretary post, he added.
On the other hand, the counsels appearing for the complainants before the ombudsman, urged the court not to stay the order. After hearing both sides, the judge took the submissions of the petitioners’ counsels into consideration and passed the above interim order. While adjourning the case, the judge directed the respondents to file their counter affidavits.