Justice league

Truck symbol: HC reserves order on EC decision

A division bench of Telangana High Court on Wednesday reserved its order in the petition filed by Samajwadi Forward Bloc Party challenging the decision of the Election Commission of India in removing ‘Truck’ symbol from the list of free symbols in Telangana and AP states.

The bench was dealing with a petition filed by Samajwadi Forward Bloc Party, represented by its national president L Muralidhar Rao, seeking to declare the action of ECI in unilaterally proposing to strike down the ‘Truck’ symbol which was allotted to the petitioner party during the State assembly elections held on Dec 12 last year, as illegal and violation of provisions envisaged in the Representation of People’s Act, 1951.

Petitioner’s counsel P Shashi Kiran contended that the EC has unilaterally decided to struck down the ‘Truck’ symbol bowing to pressure from the ruling TRS party, which has ‘car’ symbol. In fact, there was no similarity between the two symbols and there was no basis in the decision taken by the ECI. The EC has failed to give proper explanation in this regard. Besides, no notice was served to the petitioner party by the ECI prior to taking such a decision, he argued.After hearing both sides, the bench reserved its judgment on the issue.

 

Proceedings stayed in contempt case against DGP, two SPs

In a huge relief to the DGP and two SPs, a division bench of Telangana High Court on Wednesday stayed all further proceedings in the order passed recently against the police officers by a single judge in the contempt case filed by former Congress MLAs Komatireddy Venkat Reddy and SA Sampath Kumar seeking action against the authorities for failure to restore security cover to them in spite of the court order. The bench was passing this order in contempt appeals filed separately by DGP M Mahender Reddy, SPs A Venkata Ranganath (Nalgonda) and Rema Rajeswari (Jogulamba Gadwal) against the order of the single judge who directed them to appear in the contempt case filed by the former Congress MLAs. The bench admitted these appeals for final hearing.

 

Silicosis victims: TS told to submit report on relief paid

Displeased with the inaction of labour department officials in paying compensation to the widows who lost their husbands due to silicosis, an occupational hazard in quartz mines at Elkatta and Chowlapally villages in the erstwhile Mahabubnagar district (presently in Rangareddy district), a division bench of Telangana High Court on Wednesday directed the State government to submit status report regarding compensation paid to the affected families.The bench was passing this order in a taken up PIL case based on a news report published in a daily on the issue. The report stated that there was no scheme to safeguard the life and liberty of the persons suffering from silicosis.