Madan Bhimrao Lokur is new CJ of AP High Court

By S A Ishaqui

Hyderabad, Nov 2 : Justice Madan Bhimrao Lokur will take charge as Chief Justice of Andhra Pradesh High Court by November 15. He is currently the Chief Justice of Guwahati High Court. President Pratibha Patil’s transfer orders to this effect reached Hyderabad on Wednesday evening.

Justice Lokur’s meteoric rise to the top

Born on December 31, 1953, Justice Lokur studied at Modern School, New Delhi and St. Joseph's Collegiate in Allahabad. He completed his graduation in History (Hons.) from St. Stephen's College, Delhi University in 1974. After obtaining his LL.B. degree from Delhi University in 1977, he enrolled as an Advocate-on-Record in the SC in 1981 and appointed as Central Government Sta-nding Counsel in Dec. 1990. He continued in the post till December 1996. In February 1997, he was designated as Senior Advocate and was appoi-nted as Addtl. Solicitor-General on July 14, 1998.

Justice Lokur was appointed as Additional Judge of Delhi High Court on February 19, 1999, and became a permanent judge on July 5, 1999. He was elevated as the CJ of Guwahati High Court on June 24, 2010.

Andhra Pradesh High Court adjourns hearing on Naidu’s wealth

By S A Ishaqui

Hyderabad, Nov 1:A division bench comprising acting Chief Justice Ghulam Mohammed and Justice Nooty Rama-mohana Rao of the AP High Court on Tuesday wondered whether the share value of a company could be as high as Rs 5 lakh.

The bench was hearing a plea against the TD chief, Mr N. Chandrababu Naidu, by Ms Y.S. Vijayalakshmi, wife of late chief minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, seeking a probe into alleged amassing of wealth by Mr Naidu, through illegal gratification when he was the chief minister of the state. Mr Sushil Kumar, senior counsel from the Supreme Court, appearing for the petitioner explained to the court about various deals including land allotment to IMG Bharata, Krishna Godavari Basin gas supply agreement with Reliance and the role of media baron Mr Ch. Ramoji Rao in finalising the gas deal.

He said the IMG deal was finalised within three days of incorporating the IMG Academy without referring it to the Cabinet. The successive government ordered a CBI probe into the deal and the Centre did not accord its consent till date on the decision. He alleged that in consideration for the favour done by Mr Naidu in allowing the state’s KG Basin claim to be brushed under the carpet, the Reliance group facilitated the payout of Mr Ramoji Rao’s debts to his depositors.

He said one of the close associates of the Reliance Group, Mr Nimesh Kampani, extended himself in ensuring that Mr Ramoji Rao would be bailed out. Within a short span of 37 days between December 2007 and January 2008, six “shell companies” were floated on three addresses, which are shown as Sriram Mills Compound, Worli, which is the official address of Reliance Industries Limited. Reliance diverted Rs 2,604 crores of its shareholders money through the shell companies to Mr Kampani’s Equator Trading India Limited and Chajlani’s Anu Trading.

According to the Form 2, filed by Ushodaya Enterprises with the Registrar of Companies, shares allotted to Equator Trading Enterprises Ltd are shown at a premium of Rs 5,28,630 per share. The senior counsel contended that obliviously it must be a pay off.

Referring to the growth of Heritage Food owned by Mr Naidu’s family, the senior counsel contended that the material which they produced before the court was sufficient to order a preliminary probe against the irregularities committed by Mr Naidu and his associates when they are in power. He urged the court to order a preliminary inquiry by the CBI against TD chief. The court adjourned the hearing.

Andhra Pradesh High Court to take up plea against Chnadrababu Naidu today

By S A Ishaqui
Hyderabad,Oct 31 : The AP High Court will hear on Tuesday Y.S. Vijayalakshimi’s plea against Telugu Desam chief N. Chandrababu Naidu seeking a probe by the CBI into the alleged amassing of wealth by the latter when he was the chief minister.

A division bench comprising acting Chief Just-ice Ghulam Mohammed and Justice Nooty Ramamohana Rao will hear the case.

Ms Vijayalakshmi had contended that Mr Naidu’s acts in allotting lands and granting benefits and exe-mptions to several institutions and individuals as the chief minister would attract provisions of various penal laws.

AP response to Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation plea sought by HC

By S A Ishaqui

Hyderabad,Oct 7 : The vacation judge of the AP High Court Justice B. Seshasayana Reddy on Friday sought to know the response of the state government on a plea by the Karnataka Road Transport Corporation seeking a direction to the government to provide protection to its bus services operating from various places of Karnataka to AP.

The judge was dealing with the petition by the divisional controller of North East Karnataka, Bidar division. The petitioner stated that their corporation was operating 175 services to border villages in AP and Hyderabad from their state. He said that one of their buses was attacked by the agitators at Zaheerabad on September 20, 2011 and their bus crew approached the Medak district police requesting them to provide protection to the passengers and the crew of the bus.
However, the police authorities expressed their inability to provide security to the bus. While directing the government’s counsel to respond on the plea, the judge posted the case after three weeks.

Notice to Andhra Pradesh Government on ‘shortfall’ of power supply

By S A Ishaqui

Hyderabad, Sept 30: A division bench comprising Justice V.V.S. Rao and Justice K.G. Shankar of the AP High Court on Friday issued notices to the state government on a petition alleging that the government was creating artificial shortage of power in Telangana region on the pretext of the ongoing strike by the workers of Singareni Collieries.

The bench was dealing with a petition by Amarachinta Lift Irrigation Farmers Association of Mahbubnagar represented by its secretary Mr Anjaneyulu. Mr D. Prakash Reddy, senior counsel appearing for the petitioners contended that it was nothing but a deliberate attempt by the government to push farmers into trouble by creating artificial scarcity of power through reduction of hydel power generation.

He cited the statistics to show that the power produced from hydro-electric projects has been reduced drastically this year though the major reservoirs are full. Mr Reddy said the Electricity Act empowers the state government to give a direction to the private producers not to sell their power outside the state, but the government was not using that authority. He stated that the action of the government has resulted in shortage and the farming community was bearing the brunt. While issuing the notices to the respondents, the bench adjourned the case to October 10.