The Telangana High Court has dismissed a writ appeal filed by Operation Mobilisation India Trust, holding that the appeal was not maintainable under Clause 15 of the Letters Patent as the proceedings arose from matters relating to criminal investigation.
The appeal challenged an interim order dated April 8, 2026, passed in a writ petition filed by Gowripaga Albert Lael seeking a direction to the Ministry of Home Affairs to entrust investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into alleged violations of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 (FCRA) and offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act by the OM India Group of Charities and its functionaries.
The writ petitioner had also sought interim protection restraining the organisation from alienating or creating third-party rights over its movable and immovable properties pending investigation. Acting on the plea, a single judge had issued notice and granted an interim direction restraining disposal of properties.
Assailing the order, counsel for the appellant contended that the interim direction was contrary to earlier orders passed by the Supreme Court in proceedings arising out of FIR No.22 of 2016 registered under Sections 409, 420 and 477A IPC and Section 37 of the FCRA. Hearing the appeal, a bench of Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice GM Mohiuddin observed that matters falling within criminal jurisdiction are not amenable to intra-court appeal under Clause 15 of the Letters Patent and dismissed the writ appeal solely on the ground of maintainability.
Soil removal from Peddacheruvu for brick-making restricted
Justice B Vijaysen Reddy of the Telangana High Court has issued interim orders restraining authorities from permitting private individuals to remove soil from Peddacheruvu located in Survey No. 508 of Chinthapalli mandal, Nalgonda district, for brick manufacturing purposes. The interim order was passed while hearing a writ petition filed by Natwa Giridhar, challenging the permission granted for transportation of 10,000 metric tonnes of soil from the lake spread over 10 hectares.
According to the petitioner, the state government is constructing the Chinthapalli Reservoir under the Dindi Reservoir project, for which nearly 1,600 acres, including the petitioner’s land, had been acquired. Counsel for the petitioner submitted that while soil from tanks and reservoirs may be utilised for reservoir construction works, the authorities illegally permitted private persons, Nakkala Vijayender Reddy and Y Koteswara Rao, to transport the soil for commercial brick manufacturing activities.
It was contended that the permissions granted in April by the additional director of the Mines and Geology department and the gram panchayat were contrary to the mining regulations and the government order issued in 2015 governing excavation and utilisation of soil from water bodies. The court directed the respondents to file counters with complete details and adjourned the matter to July 1, 2026. Until then, authorities have been restrained from allowing private persons to transport soil from the lake.
