Relief for KTR as HC dismisses NGT orders
In a major relief to MAUD Minister KT Rama Rao, the Telangana High Court on Wednesday set aside the National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) orders on the alleged construction of a farmhouse at Janwada by violating GO 111 on the ground that Rama Rao had denied being its owner and that he was not even a lessee.
Allowing the petition, the HC held that filing a petition against him without verifying the ownership of the farmhouse was wrong. The NGT had issued notices to Rama Rao and the State government on the illegal construction of a farmhouse at Janwada on Hyderabad’s outskirts on a petition filed by TPCC president A Revanth Reddy.
NGT also set up a committee to look into the allegations of violation of the provisions of the GO 111. Challenging the NGT order, Rama Rao approached High Court by filing a writ petition. Counsel for the petitioner informed the court that the respondent was politically motivated and the petitioner had no connection or relation with the construction activity, much less the ownership.
Farmhouse owner gets relief
Farmhouse owner B Pradeep Reddy filed another petition questioning the NGT order, claiming that he was the owner and in possession of the land admeasuring 3 acres 30 guntas and that he purchased the farmhouse built on the land admeasuring 1210 sq yards under two registered sale deeds.He informed the court that the vendor of the property, after obtaining permission from Gram Panchayat, constructed the farmhouse.
The petitioner also argued that the NGT issued directions which have a bearing on his property without the true owner of the property being made a party to the proceedings and, therefore, the impugned order passed was in clear violation of principles of natural justice.
After hearing the petitioner’s contentions, the bench comprising Justice A Rajasekhar Reddy and Justice P Naveen Rao set aside the NGT orders on the ground that the complainant before the NGT didn’t make the owner a party and found fault with the NGT ordering a High Power Committee probe into the legality of the construction of the farmhouse without notifying the owner and hence the owners’ petition was also allowed.
HC raps Revanth for leaking PIL to media
Telangana High Court on Wednesday heard a PIL filed by TPCC president and MP A Revanth Reddy seeking an investigation by the NCB or ED into the Banjara Hills drugs case, but not before reprimanding the petitioner for making the contents of the PIL available to the media beforehand.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Abhinand Kumar Shavili heard the PIL which sought an investigation by the central agencies as the local police cannot probe it since the accused hailed from influential families. The petitioner said that of the 148 suspects identified by the police, only two or three were subjected to tests and the others were let off. After hearing counsel for the petitioner, the bench observed: “Even if a direction is given to the central agencies to probe the incident, what could they do as the crucial period of taking blood samples from the suspects has already lapsed?”
Special Government Pleader Sanjeev Kumar informed the court that Revanth has filed a PIL in 2017 on a similar issue and now he filed another PIL implying that it had no merit. After hearing the contentions of both sides, the court adjourned the case to August 24.