Attachment of Raju assets upheld

By S A Ishaqui

Hyderabad,March 4: A division bench comprising Justice Goda Raghuram and Justice R. Kantha Rao of the AP High Court on Friday upheld the attachment of the assets of the kin of the ex-Satyam boss Ramalinga Raju by the Enforcement Directorate under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The bench, while dismissing a batch of petitions filed by family members of Ramalinga Raju, upheld the validity of Sections 2(1)(u), 5(1), second proviso to Section 5, 8, 8(4), 23 of the Act.

The petitioners challenged these sections and urged the court to declare them as invalid stating that the Act came into force only in 2009 and cannot be used in connection with properties that were acquired beforehand. But the HC rejected this plea and said the Act would also apply to property acquired even before this provision came into force.

Nims told to pay TA to doctors
Justice Nooty Ramamohana Rao of the AP High Court on Friday directed the Nizams Institute of Medical Sciences to pay the travelling allowance and non-practicing allowance to its resident and senior resident doctors on par with its faculty. The judge was dealing with a petition filed by Dr N. Venkata Siva Ramakrishna and three others seeking allowances. Mr S.S Bhatt, counsel for Nims, contended that the petitioners had no right to seek the allowances since they were not faculty.

But the judge refused the contentions of the institution and was of prima facie view that the services rendered by the petitioners are similar to the faculty and employees of the institution.

Order in favour of society vacated
Justice R. Subhash Reddy of the High Court on Friday vacated an interim order granted in favour of Kesava Reddy Educational Society to conduct a mega merit scholarship test on March 6.

The judge, while dealing with two miscellaneous petitions filed by the ABVE and Andhra Pradesh Private Unaided Schools Management Association seeking vacation of the interim order which enabled the society to conduct the scholarship test.

Ex-Kadapa mayor’s gunmen restored
The High Court on Friday directed the Kadapa SP to restore gunmen to Mr. Ravindranath Reddy, the former mayor of Kadapa. Justice R. Subhash Reddy of the High Court was dealing with a petition filed by the former mayor challenging the action of the Kadapa SP in withdrawing his personal security guards on the ground of his alleged involvement in a kidnap case.

Mr C.V. Mohan Reddy, former advocate general, argued that the alleged victims in the kidnap case had appeared before the SHRC and deposed that they were not kidnapped at all.

HC orders status quo on bypass road
Justice L. Narasimha Reddy on Friday ordered status quo regarding the laying of a bypass road near Chilakaluripeta in Guntur district. The judge granted interim orders on a petition filed by Mr B. Srinivasa Rao and 20 other farmers, contending that a bypass road was being built unnecessarily though the existing four lane National Highway-5 was already being converted to six lane highway.

Cops told to bring kidnapped MPTC
The High Court on Friday directed the police authorities to produce V. China Venkata Subbanna, MPTC in Kadapa district, who was allegedly kidnapped and kept in a camp by one of the candidates contesting for the MLC elections. The court was dealing with a petition filed by V. Obulamma, wife of the Subbanna, stating that her husband was an MPTC of Dommara Nandyla of the district and he was kidnapped at the behest of the local Congress MLA, Mr C. Adinarayana Reddy.