Wakf Board to move Supreme Court for contempt against Lanco

DECCAN CHRONICLE | S.A. ISHAQUI

Published Nov 30, 2015, 10:19 am IST

Hyderabad: The Telangana State Wakf Board has decided to move a contempt petition against Lanco Hills Technology Park Pvt Ltd for creating third party interests by selling flats and villas at its Lanco Hills Project in the city without informing buyers about the Supreme Court direction with regard to the land on which the project is located.
According to the Board, it has noticed that the company was advertising the sale of flats and villas without mentioning the Supreme Court observations that the land on which the Lanco Hills Project was located belonged to the Dargah Hazrath Hussain Shah Vali under the jurisdiction of the Wakf Board.
Explaining the case, Mr Syed Omar Jaleel, competent authority of the Board and special officer of the minority welfare department told this newspaper that the Wakf Tribunal had earlier, in an order, specified the actual owners of the land. Aggrieved by the findings of Wakf Tribunal, the Lanco Hills Technology Park moved a civil revision petition before the Hyderabad High Court. However, the HC had upheld the tribunal’s order.
While dismissing the revision petition, the HC pointed out, “There is prima facie case to hold that the land is Wakf land. In this background if the petitioner is allowed to alienate the land as rightly observed by the Wakf Tribunal, it would certainly multiply litigation une-ndingly as third party interests would certainly come into the picture.”
Lanco Hills Technology Park challenged the HC order before the Supreme Court in 2012 and the apex court stayed the orders of the HC and the tribunal.

Hyderabad High Court orders CCTVs in recreational clubs

DECCAN CHRONICLE | S A ISHAQUI

Published Nov 1, 2015, 9:28 am IST

Updated Jan 10, 2016, 8:38 am IST

The cameras will be linked to police stations for observation

 Image for representational purpose only

Hyderabad: The Hyderabad High Court has directed 11 recreation clubs located in the city and one in Jagtial, Karimnagar district, to install video cameras or closed circuit cameras to record recreational activities and link them with local police stations.
Justice A.V. Sesha Sai was disposing of a batch of petitions moved by a group of clubs challenging the interference of the police and banning card games on their premises. They contended that rummy with 13 cards was a game of skill and does not fall under the definition of gambling.
Mr Venugopal, counsel for the Telangana state home department, told the court that it was the duty of the police to enforce the provisions of the AP Gaming Act, 1974. Under Sections 5 and 9 of the Act, the police is obliged to conduct raids whenever it receives reliable information that gambling is taking place on the premises.
While concluding that the rummy with 13 cards was not a game of chance and was preponderantly a game of skill, the judge ordered the police not to interfere with the game, whatever be the stakes.
He then ordered the managements of the clubs to install CCTV cameras and link them to police stations for observation.