Stay on case against Pavan Kalyan

By S A Ishaqui

Hyderabad, April 30: The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Thursday stayed criminal proceedings against film actor and Praja Rajyam leader K. Pavan Kalyan.
The actor had filed a petition seeking a direction to quash criminal proceedings pending against him in the judicial first class magistrate court at Wanaparthy in Mahbubnagar district.
The lower court took cognisance of a complaint filed by general secretary of district Youth Congress alleging that Pavan Kalyan had cheated and defamed him at a meeting in Indira Chowk in the city after the demolition of houses in Bhimraobada.
He contended in his quash petition that the magistrate did not look into mandatory provisions in Section 199 (1) of the CrPC. Justice G. Bhavani Prasad, while granting interim stay on all further proceedings issued notice to the respondents and posted the case for further hearing after the summer vacation.

No stay in contempt case

A division bench comprising Justice Ghulam Mohammed and Justice P.V. Sanjay Kumar on Thursday refused to close contempt proceedings against principal secretary of revenue department and others in a case related to untimely transfer of Ms K. Hymavathi, the deputy collector of Machilipatnam in Krishna district.

According to the petitioner, she was posted on July 25, 2008 and in less than three months she was transferred from the post in October 2008.

However, the Election Commission did not agree to the transfer at that time because elections to members of Legislative Council were on and the model code of conduct was in force. The government then got her transferred from the post on February 11, 2009.

Ms Hymavathi challenged the transfer orders in the HC and the court, while passing interim orders, suspended the transfer orders.She filed a contempt case against the principal secretary and others alleging that the officials did not comply with the court orders and they did not allow her to join duty.

The bench summoned Mr S.V. Prasad, chief commissioner of land administration, Mr P. Samuel, principal secretary of revenue department and Mr Sridhar, Krishna district collector to appear before the court.

The three officials appeared before the court and submitted that the petitioner was reinstated as deputy collector of Machilipatnam and urged the court to close the contempt against them. The court while passing order from dispensing their presence in the case, posted the case for further hearing after summer vacation.

Transport babu presence must

The APHC refused to dispense with the presence of the transport commissioner, Mr Raymond Peter, from appearing before the court in a petition filed by Ms J. Swaroopa Rani against the delay in transferring the data of her vehicle for Hyderabad to Peddapalli in Karimnagar district.

Justice N.V. Ramana had ordered the transport commissioner to appear before him on April 24 to explain the reasons for non-compliance of the court order. The official appeared before the judge and urged him to dispense his presence in the case.
The court on March 2, 2009 directed the State Road Transport Authority to transfer the data of the petitioner’s vehicle within a week, but the authorities failed to implement the court order.

HC notice to power plant

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Anil R. Dave and Justice Ramesh Ranganathan of the AP High Court on Thursday issued notices to the Chief Secretary based on a writ petition filed challenging the permission granted by the Central government to set up a power plant in Santha Bommali Mandal, Srikakulam district near Telnilapuram bird habitat.

Captain J. Rama Rao, representing the Forum for Sustainable Development, filed a petition stating that the Environmental Appraisal Committee of the ministry of environment visited the site and found that it was an ecologically fragile area.
He told the court that the birds breed here and these are wetlands and swamps and that such lands need to be preserved as per the action plan of Prime Minister for climate change.The bench issued notices to the CS and the secretary of state environmental department and adjourned the case to June 11.

Info sought on port pollution

The APHC on Thursday directed the AP Pollution Control Board and the Visakhapatnam Port Trust to inform it on measures they have taken to prevent air pollution in the Visakhapatnam-I area due to port operations.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Anil R. Dave and Justice Ramesh Ranganathan was hearing a petition filed by Mr Rasool on behalf of Kotaveedhi residents.
The petitioner told the court that large scale transport of coal and other material in the port berths has resulted in fine black dust engulfing the nearby area.

He said a number of residents are suffering from respiratory diseases as coal dust was polluting the air. The petitioner submitted photographs and news reports on air pollution in the area to the court.

The bench asked the port officers and the APPCB to report to the court about the present situation and the remedial measures initiated by June 2.


Central labour official called

The AP High Court on Thursday directed the Central labour commissioner to appear before the court on June 5 to explain the reasons for transferring an assistant labour commissioner from Hyderabad and relieving her from duties despite a status quo order issued by the court.

The court was dealing with a petition filed by an assistant labour commissioner Ms Ashina Misra challenging her transfer to Visakhapatnam from Hyderabad. The court sought to know from the authorities as to why they were not paying the assistant commissioner her salary and keeping her idle without any work.


Writ filed on mining permit


A writ petition was filed in the APHC seeking a direction to the authorities to implement the orders of the Central ministry of environment not to carry out mining operations by Obulapuram Mining Company, Ananthpuram Mining Corporation, Y. Mahbaleswar Rao and sons and Bellary Iron Ore Company in Survey No. 1 of D.Hirehal village in Ananthpur district.


Mr T. Ekambaram, mining engineer of Anantapur filed the plea. He urged the HC to direct officials concerned to take steps to protect the reserve forest from the mining operations.