HYDERABAD: Describing the 25-year delay in deciding an application as a matter that “shocks the conscience of the court”, Justice CV Bhaskar Reddy of the Telangana High Court has imposed exemplary costs of Rs 50,000 on the competent officer appointed under Section 4 of the repealed Evacuee Interest (Separation) Act, 1951.
The amount is to be paid to the Sainik Welfare, Telangana/Armed Forces Flag Day Fund within four weeks of receiving the court’s order.
The penalty was imposed for the officer’s failure to decide an application pending since March 28, 2000, concerning evacuee properties spread across various villages in Jangaon of the erstwhile Warangal district.
The court was hearing a writ petition filed by Abul Qair Naseeruddin Kamran, who sought directions to declare the authorities’ inaction as arbitrary and violative of Article 300A of the Constitution.
He asked for the completion of proceedings in Application No. 1 of 2000, filed by the legal heirs of Saleha Fatima Begum, the original claimant to about 43 acres of land across several villages, including Kundaram, Bekkal, Samudrala, Pakhal, Palakurthi, Irrevenu, Mutharam, Ippuguda and Raghunathpalli.