The Telangana and Andhra Pradesh High Court today refused to prevent the media from reporting on the Miyapur land scam matter..A Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice G Shyam Prasad was hearing a Public Interest Litigation filed by BJP spokesperson Raghunandan Rao seeking an independent, court-monitored inquiry into alleged misappropriation of government land in Hyderabad’s Miyapur area..Hemendranath Reddy, counsel for one of the respondents, told the Court that the petitioner’s bona fides were questionable and that every time the matter was argued in Court, it received wide media coverage, even if the outcome of the hearing was a mere adjournment order. He submitted that the same was damaging his client’s reputation..Reddy added that the PIL was filed for the purpose of publicity, and that the petition was not maintainable as the petitioner, who appeared in person, had a personal interest in the outcome..However, Justice Ranganathan observed,.“Our orders are misreported everyday, this does not mean we gag them.”.The judge went on to say that he had recently been shown a news clip wherein it was reported that he had met the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, and that they had decided on when and where the Andhra Pradesh High Court would commence operations in the residuary state..He stated that though the meeting had never taken place, the press cannot be gagged..“Error in reporting is a privilege they have; we wish they did not…”.The Court directed Reddy to file an affidavit, and went on to observe that if it could be proved that the petitioner had a personal interest, he could be removed as petitioner, but the matter would be taken up suo motu, as it was undoubtedly of public interest..The crux of the PIL dates back to the registration of 693 acres of government land in survey numbers 20, 28, 100 and 101 in the Miyapur area of the city to private parties and its subsequent cancellation..The petitioner told the Court today that more than twenty individuals were named in a charge sheet filed on September 8, 2017 by the Telangana Police, while only three arrests were made, and that the investigation was deemed complete..Advocate General for Telangana D Prakash Reddy clarified that the other names had surfaced after confessional statements of the three accused had been recorded, and that the Police had explicitly stated that supplementary charge sheets would be filed as and when necessary..On being asked why the others had not been issued notices to appear before the Police in exercise of their powers under section 41 A of the Code of Criminal Procedure 1973, Reddy told the Court that they were absconding..The Principal Secretary (Home) to the Telangana Government has been asked to file a detailed affidavit on the progress of the investigation, and the matter will be heard further, four weeks from now.
The Telangana and Andhra Pradesh High Court today refused to prevent the media from reporting on the Miyapur land scam matter..A Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice G Shyam Prasad was hearing a Public Interest Litigation filed by BJP spokesperson Raghunandan Rao seeking an independent, court-monitored inquiry into alleged misappropriation of government land in Hyderabad’s Miyapur area..Hemendranath Reddy, counsel for one of the respondents, told the Court that the petitioner’s bona fides were questionable and that every time the matter was argued in Court, it received wide media coverage, even if the outcome of the hearing was a mere adjournment order. He submitted that the same was damaging his client’s reputation..Reddy added that the PIL was filed for the purpose of publicity, and that the petition was not maintainable as the petitioner, who appeared in person, had a personal interest in the outcome..However, Justice Ranganathan observed,.“Our orders are misreported everyday, this does not mean we gag them.”.The judge went on to say that he had recently been shown a news clip wherein it was reported that he had met the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, and that they had decided on when and where the Andhra Pradesh High Court would commence operations in the residuary state..He stated that though the meeting had never taken place, the press cannot be gagged..“Error in reporting is a privilege they have; we wish they did not…”.The Court directed Reddy to file an affidavit, and went on to observe that if it could be proved that the petitioner had a personal interest, he could be removed as petitioner, but the matter would be taken up suo motu, as it was undoubtedly of public interest..The crux of the PIL dates back to the registration of 693 acres of government land in survey numbers 20, 28, 100 and 101 in the Miyapur area of the city to private parties and its subsequent cancellation..The petitioner told the Court today that more than twenty individuals were named in a charge sheet filed on September 8, 2017 by the Telangana Police, while only three arrests were made, and that the investigation was deemed complete..Advocate General for Telangana D Prakash Reddy clarified that the other names had surfaced after confessional statements of the three accused had been recorded, and that the Police had explicitly stated that supplementary charge sheets would be filed as and when necessary..On being asked why the others had not been issued notices to appear before the Police in exercise of their powers under section 41 A of the Code of Criminal Procedure 1973, Reddy told the Court that they were absconding..The Principal Secretary (Home) to the Telangana Government has been asked to file a detailed affidavit on the progress of the investigation, and the matter will be heard further, four weeks from now.
