A division bench of the Telangana High Court on Wednesday, October 15, extended the interim stay granted on September 24 in writ appeals filed by TGPSC and others challenging a single judge’s order setting aside the Group-1 examination results.
The bench, comprising Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice G M Mohiuddin, allowed the TGPSC to issue appointment orders to selected candidates, subject to the final outcome of pending appeals.
Earlier, on September 9, Justice N Rajeshwar Rao had quashed the Final Marks List and the General Ranking List, directing the Commission to manually re-evaluate all Group-1 Mains answer scripts. The single judge had also directed that if such re-evaluation was not feasible, the Commission should conduct a fresh Mains examination for all candidates who had cleared the prelims.
Challenging this order, the TGPSC and other appellants approached the division bench, which granted interim relief on September 24. The bench adjourned the matter to November 18, for further hearing.
PIL seeking probe into Kodangal LIS dismissed
The Telangana High Court on Wednesday dismissed a PIL filed by social activist and former AICC member Bakka Judson, seeking an Enforcement Directorate (ED) probe into alleged irregularities in the Narayanpet-Kodangal Lift Irrigation Scheme.
A Division Bench of Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice GM Mohiuddin dismissed the petition, noting that the petitioner failed to establish the alleged “quid pro quo” and that the plea appeared motivated by malicious intentions.
In his petition, Judson had alleged that the scheme’s cost escalated from Rs 1,450.51 crore to Rs 4,350 crore to benefit Megha Engineering and Infrastructures (MEIL) and Raghava Constructions, linked to Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, in return for financial contributions to the Congress party via Electoral Bonds.
Respondents named included Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy. The bench found no legal basis for the allegations and dismissed the PIL.
HC tells officials to prevent animal cruelty during Sadar
Justice N V Shravan Kumar of the Telangana High Court on Wednesday directed authorities to consider a petitioner’s representation for preventing animal cruelty during the Sadar, while granting permission for the upcoming festival. The petitioner, A Goutham, an animal welfare activist from Karimnagar, alleged that the celebrations a day before Diwali involved dragging, beating, and forcing buffaloes and bulls into unnatural movements. He submitted a detailed representation urging authorities to act against offenders.
‘Provide updated replies on ELF Radar Project’
The high court on Wednesday directed the Central and state governments to file additional counter-affidavits in a PIL by Damagundum Forest Protection-JAC-Save Damagundam, challenging the allotment of forest land to the Eastern Naval Command for the ELF Radar Project.
A division bench passed the order. The court had earlier stayed the project in 2020, later allowing it to proceed in 2021, subject to the PIL’s outcome. Amicus Curiae Vivek Jain said the Centr’s earlier counter did not address key environmental issues. The next hearing is scheduled for November 13.
[Article by TG Naidu of The New Indian Express]