HYDERABAD: The High Court on Monday directed the state’s principal secretary, home department, to place before it all the records pertaining to the ban imposed on Swami Paripoornananda from entering the city for a period of six months under the Telangana Prevention of Anti-social and Hazardous Activities Act, 1980.
Justice A Rajasheker Reddy passed the order on three petitions filed separately by Swami Paripoornananda challenging the externment orders issued against him recently i.e. on July 10, 14 and 15 by the Hyderabad, Cyberabad and Rachakonda commissioners respectively, barring him from entering the city for a period of six months under the Act, 1980.
Senior counsel D Prakash Reddy, appearing for Swami, told the court that the said Act should be used only against those who were goondas, rowdies and other anti-social elements who indulge in crime frequently. The said police commissionerates had no power to issue such orders against the Swami. No material was placed by the police to show that the swami can be categorized as a goonda. Initiation of action under the Act was nothing but a violation of the fundamental rights of the petitioner.
In fact, neither a case was pending nor a complaint was made against him. The police mentioned the incidents that took place in the past in other districts of the state. The authorities had no power to take action against the swami for those incidents, he pointed out.
Additional advocate-general J Ramachandra Rao submitted that the authorities took action as per the procedure established by law and, the swami was dropped at Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh as per his wish, he added. The judge directed the principal secretary to home to place the relevant records before him.