The Telangana High Court on Tuesday directed GHMC Commissioner Lokesh Kumar and Deputy Commissioner D. Pradeep Kumar to appear before it on March 11 in a PIL plea over some industrial units causing pollution in Shastripuram.
A bench of Chief Justice Raghvendra Singh Chauhan and Justice A. Abhishek Reddy passed the direction, after seeking to know why the authorities were failing to rein in industrial units disturbing the environment. The bench observed that the affidavits filed by the Deputy Commissioner on February 6 and 12 were vague.
The bench said the affidavits gave conflicting information, pointing out that on one hand the officials say there are only three industrial units in Shastripuram and on the other they maintain that notices were issued to a large number of such units for evacuation. The bench said the GHMC was playing hide-and-seek with regard to details on the issue.
In another case, Justice Abhinand Kumar Shavili of the HC dismissed a writ petition filed by Karvy Stock Broking Limited challenging the Central government’s order for a probe into its affairs by SFIO.
The company in its petition stated that officials of the HC summons GHMC Commissioner, a wing of Corporate Affairs Ministry, did not give it an opportunity to hear its version despite an earlier order from the High Couort. The judge, however, did not agree with the contentions of the company. Assistant Solicitor General Namavarapu Rajeshwar Rao told the court that the Registrar of Companies had already conducted a probe into the matter and furnished a report seeking further investigation into the company’s matters. The Centre had the power to initiate such probe, Mr. Rao said.