Telangana justice league

MHRD, UGC, CBI get notices on fellowships issue

The Telangana High Court on Thursday issued notices to the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), the University Grants Commission, Osmania and Kakatiya universities and the CBI for filing counter affidavits in four weeks in a PIL alleging grant of fellowships to ineligible students.

The bench comprising Chief Justice Raghvendra Singh Chauhan and Justice B Vijaysen Reddy passed this order in a PIL filed by PhD aspirant K Srinivas seeking a CBI probe into MPhil/PhD admissions to the said two varsities. He sought direction to the universities to scrutinise the fellowships awarded, stop PhD admissions and take action against the staff concerned.

The petitioner’s counsel Ramesh Chilla said many students were admitted for grant of fellowship without having registered for M.Phil/Ph.D courses. After hearing the case, the bench issued notices to the respondents — Secretary to Ministry of HRD, Secretary to UGC, Joint Director of CBI, Hyderabad and the registrars of OU and KU to respond and posted the matter to January 21 next year.

Shamshabad official told to inspect ‘illegal’ structure

Dealing with a PIL alleging illegal constructions by private individuals in a government land, the High Court on Thursday directed the Commissioner of Shamshabad municipality to inspect the construction and stop it if any illegality was discovered. The court also directed the Commissioner to submit an action-taken report before the court at the next hearing of the case. The five acre land is located in survey no. 203 at Shamshabad. 

A division bench of the court passed this order in a PIL filed by India Fellowship Inc. complaining that authorities have not taken action on the issue.After hearing the case, the bench passed the above interim order and issued notices to the respondents — State Principal Secretary to Municipal Administration and Urban Development, Commissioner of Shamshabad municipality and others concerned for filing counter affidavit on the issue in four weeks. The bench posted the matter to January 21 next year.

HC directive on Mahesh Bank Board elections

The Telangana High Court on Thursday directed the returning officer (RO) concerned to complete the counting of votes for elections held on December 20 to the office of board of directors of AP Mahesh Cooperative Urban Bank Ltd, Hyderabad. 

The Court directed the RO to complete the process as soon as possible but not to declare the results until further orders of the court. The report pertaining to details of counting of votes and election results should be submitted in a sealed cover before the court by Monday.

Justice P Naveen Rao passed this interim order in batch petitions filed by contesting candidates seeking direction to the RO to complete the counting process and to declare the result. The petitioners complained that the RO suddenly stopped the counting process after receiving instructions from her superior officers. The judge directed the Central government standing counsel to file a counter affidavit on the issue, and posted the matter to Monday.