Hyderabad: Justice Lakshminarayana Arichetty of the Telangana High Court set aside the election of K. Madhumohan as chairman of the Tukkuguda Municipality on the plea of Baligela Hemalatha and others. The court ruled that the participation of Dr. K. Keshav Rao and P. Savita Indra Reddy in the election as de jure councillors was without legal authority. The unsuccessful candidates pointed out that Keshav Rao could not have participated as a local councillor as he was an MP from Andhra Pradesh. Savita Indira Reddy was disqualified as she had chosen a municipality other than Tukkuguda. In a detailed judgement running to 40 pages, Justice Arichetty declared Madhumohan’s election invalid. The judge also set aside the order of the Election Tribunal directing it to notify the holding of fresh elections. Meanwhile, Madhumohan, in a separate petition, moved the court seeking a stay of the order for four weeks to move his case before the Supreme Court. The judge gave the victims two weeks to appeal to the Supreme Court.
Lal Darwaza temple financial orders amended
A two-judge bench of the Telangana High Court has modified its orders relating to the particulars of Sri Simhavahini Mahankali Temple at Lal Darwaza in Hyderabad. The bench, comprising Chief Justice Alok Arade and Justice J Anil Kumar, was hearing a writ appeal filed by members of the temple trust committee, asking them to open a separate bank account for the temple and deposit all income and offerings to the deity in it. The single judge gave the order while hearing a writ petition filed by L Govind Kumar. The petitioner had sought a direction to the Endowments Officer to act under his direct supervision or by appointing a special officer for the purpose on the report submitted by the Grants Controller regarding mismanagement, irregularities and illegalities by the temple committee within the time frame and the Bonalu festival scheduled on July 28 and 29, and to not release any funds to the temple trust pending action on the report submitted by the Grants Controller. The Commission contended that the order of the Single Judge without hearing the petitioner violated the principles of natural justice. Hence, the Commission remanded the matter to the Single Judge to hear the matter after giving an opportunity to the appellant-trustees to be heard. The Commission also clarified that all donations made during Bonalu festival would be deposited in the above mentioned bank account pending further adjudication by the Single Judge.
High Commissioner’s Notice on the Mental Health Act
A two-judge bench of the Telangana High Court has ordered notice in a public interest litigation seeking implementation of the provisions of the Mental Health Act. The bench, consisting of Chief Justice Alok Arade and Justice J Anil Kumar, considered an email written by a serving lawyer to the Chief Justice as a public interest litigation. The email sought directions to the authorities concerned to implement the provisions of the Act by appointing state and district committees to provide facilities and treatment to those in need and to protect 800,000 mentally disabled persons. It was stated that their families are not providing treatment to them. Further, the state government has not taken any steps to provide treatment to the mentally disabled, due to which many distraught people are committing suicide. It was further stated that the Mental Health Act, 2017 mandates that every state should set up state and district level committees to protect the affected persons, but there is no such committee in Telangana. The committee took this into consideration and ordered notice to the respondents and directed them to consider the matter for further adjudication.
Ophthalmologist pleads over insensitive transfer
Justice Pura Kartik of the Telangana High Court entertained a writ petition alleging the government’s insensitivity in not transferring an associate professor of ophthalmology on the grounds of her spouse’s posting. The judge was hearing a writ petition filed by Dr Nalini Jayanthi, an associate professor of ophthalmology at the Government Medical College, Karimnagar. The petitioner alleged that the state’s Director of Medical Education did not consider her case for transfer to a college in Hyderabad despite her spouse working in another district. The petitioner argued that the respondent’s action was contrary to a government order dated July 4, 2024. After hearing the petitioner, the judge directed the respondent authorities to file a reply and remitted the matter for further adjudication.
