Latest news with #TelanganaHighCourt
Hans India
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Hans India
HC sets aside GO 126 allotting 3.7 acres for International Arbitration Centre
Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court division bench of Justices Kunuru Lakshman and Kalasikam Sujana on Friday 'set aside' GO 126, dated December 26-2021, allotting 3.7-acre prime land worth crores, located in Plot no.27, Survey no. 83/1, Raidurg village, Serilingampally mandal, RR district to the International Arbitration and Mediation Centre, Hyderabad. Though the court upheld GO 76 dated November 12 sanctioning Rs. 3 crore to meet the day-to-day expenditure of the centre and GO 6, dated March 17, 2022 wherein the Chief Secretary directed all departments and public sector undertakings to refer all its disputes above 3 crore to the IAMC for arbitration. The bench passed orders setting aside GO allotting 3.7 acres to IAMC, while adjudicating two PILs. The first PIL was filed by Koti Raghuntha Rao, party-in-person; the other was filed by A Venkatarami Reddy, a retired employee. The bench concluded the IAMC--which has been functioning since 2021--performance is abysmal. It expressed deep concern regarding its performance in future. As on January 29 this year the IAMC took up only 15 cases of which 11 were conducted pro-bono; only 57 mediation cases were conducted; of them 17 were conducted pro-bono. The bench cautioned the government to examine incurring of costs by referring cases to IAMC; directed the government to alter its policy of referring cases to IAMC, if costs prove a burden to the exchequer. The bench opined that it is the policy decision of the government to extend financial assistance to a new institution like IAMC at initial stage, but as time goes by, IAMC has to sustain itself financially. But going by its performance for the last five years, the bench stated that its sustenance is difficult in the long run. The bench referred to setting up of 'ICADR' (International Centre for Alternative Dispute Resolution) centre formed by the Government of India in 1995 to promote arbitration, but due to its abysmal performance, despite financial support, ICADR could not deliver results. The court hoped the IAMC does not go the ICADR way. Both PILs were closed.
Indian Express
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
‘Unduly hasty': Telangana High Court cancels BRS government's free land allotment to IAMC
Underlining that bona fide intentions do not justify illegal means, the Telangana High Court on Friday struck down the state government's allotment of 3.7 acres of land to the International Arbitration and Media Centre (IAMC) set up by former Chief Justice of India (CJI) N V Ramana. 'It is axiomatic that in order to achieve a bona fide end, the means must also justify the end. This Court is of the opinion that bona fide ends cannot be achieved by questionable means, especially when the State is involved. This Court has not been able to get any answer from the State why on a request by the allottee to the Hon'ble Minister for Urban Development, the Government granted the allotment with remarkable speed and without considering all aspects of the matter,' the court said. The IAMC was established in 2021 in Hyderabad to promote alternative dispute resolution. As a sitting CJI, Justice Ramana authored the trust deed for setting up the 'charitable public trust'. Former Supreme Court judges R V Raveendran and L Nageswara Rao were named as life trustees, while a Telangana state minister and the Telangana High Court Chief Justice were named as ex-officio trustees. A bench of Justices K Lakshman and K Sujana criticised the government for the arbitrary allotment of land with 'undue haste'. 'We would also like to point out that the conduct of the government in allotting the land was unduly hasty. It is noteworthy that possession certificate was issued in favour of the IAMC even before formulating and communicating the terms of allotment. Such hasty decisions do not bode well and often result in exercise of power contrary to the procedure. Discretionary exercise of power shall not only be fair and transparent, but also should be seen to be fair and transparent,' the court said. The land, allotted free of cost by the Bharat Rashtra Samiti government, is in Serilingampally, a revenue sub-division that also houses tech corridors, including HITEC City and Gachibowli. However, the current Congress government also defended the allotment. Chief Minister Revanth Reddy is on the three-member board of trustees. The court cancelled the land allotment on the grounds that the IAMC was not eligible for free allotment of land as a 'private body'. The court held that the allotment was contrary to the rules of the Telangana Urban Areas Development Act, 1975, which provides that government land can only be disposed by way of sale or exchange or lease or public auction. The court said that the rules provide that allotment in favour of a private body can only be made if such a body is registered under the Companies Act. It then noted that, as on the date of allotment, the IAMC was not registered as a company. The court also held that, as per a 2012 government land allotment policy, land can be allotted only on market value, with free allotment contemplated only for state government departments and below poverty line families. While the IAMC argued that it was a 'public charitable trust,' the petitioners challenging the allotment argued that the body was making profits and earning remuneration. 'A private body like the IAMC can only be done for a public purpose and after collecting the applicable market value,' the high court said. Apurva Vishwanath is the National Legal Editor of The Indian Express in New Delhi. She graduated with a B.A., LL. B (Hons) from Dr Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University, Lucknow. She joined the newspaper in 2019 and in her current role, oversees the newspapers coverage of legal issues. She also closely tracks judicial appointments. Prior to her role at the Indian Express, she has worked with ThePrint and Mint. ... Read More
New Indian Express
10 hours ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Telangana HC tells state government to explain delay in Nirmal civic polls
HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court questioned the state government over the delay in conducting municipal elections, particularly for the Nirmal Municipality, where the governing body's term ended on March 25. The court has directed the government to submit complete details regarding the delay and has scheduled the next hearing for July 11. The matter came up for hearing before Justice B Vijaysen Reddy on Friday, following a petition filed by Samundar Pelli Rajender, an agriculturist from Natarajnagar in Nirmal. The petitioner challenged the inaction of the state government and the State Election Commission (SEC), arguing that the continued delay in holding elections is illegal and unconstitutional. Senior advocate Prabhakar, representing the petitioner, argued that the failure to hold timely elections violates Articles 243U and 243ZA of the Constitution, as well as provisions of the Telangana Municipalities Act, 2019. He urged the court to direct the authorities to initiate the election process without further delay. In response, senior advocate Vidyasagar, representing the SEC, said the commission is preparing to begin the election process but needs to complete necessary procedures such as ward reservations.
New Indian Express
10 hours ago
- Business
- New Indian Express
Allotment of 3.7 acres of prime land to IAMC illegal, rules Telangana HC
HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court on Friday set aside a Government Order (GO) dated December 26, 2021, issued by the previous BRS administration allotting 3.7 acres of prime land in Raidurg to the International Arbitration and Mediation Centre (IAMC). The court, however, upheld related GOs providing financial support to the IAMC and requiring referral of certain disputes to the centre. The market value of the land is around Rs 350 crore, according to sources. The then government also sanctioned a grant of Rs 50 crore for the construction of the IAMC. The foundation stone for a permanent building was laid on March 11, 2022, by the then-Chief Justice of India Justice NV Ramana in the presence of the then chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao. A bench of Justice K Lakshman and Justice K Sujana was hearing PILs filed by advocates Koti Raghunatha Rao and A Venkatrami Reddy questioning the legality of the GOs granting land, funding and arbitration referrals to the IAMC. The PILs said that the IAMC was a private entity receiving state support without a legal basis. The bench held that the allotment was in breach of the 1975 Rules on alienation of state land. It ruled that land cannot be allotted free of cost to a private body unless it is for a public purpose and with the collection of market value. The bench also noted that the IAMC was not registered under the Companies Act at the time of allotment, making the process invalid. GOs on financial aid to IAMC legal, rules court The bench, however, upheld two other GOs: One providing `3 crore in financial assistance to the IAMC, and the other directing state departments and public sector undertakings to refer disputes above `3 crore to the centre for arbitration. The court found these orders consistent with the legal framework and government policy aimed at promoting institutional arbitration.
Time of India
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Pranay honour killing: Telangana HC defers convict's appeal as complainant wasn't served notice; orders fresh hearing after trial papers are shared
The Telangana High Court has postponed the hearing for Thirunagaru Sravan Kumar's appeal, a convict in the 2018 Perumalla Pranay Kumar honour killing case. This deferment occurred because Pranay's wife, Amrutha Varshini, wasn't notified until after arguments began. HYDERABAD: The Telangana high court on Friday deferred the hearing of a criminal appeal filed by Thirunagaru Sravan Kumar, one of the convicts in the honour killing of Dalit youth Perumalla Pranay Kumar, which took place in Miryalaguda, Nalgonda district, in 2018. Sravan Kumar has challenged the life sentence awarded to him by a Nalgonda district court and is seeking to have the conviction set aside. The court postponed proceedings after it was brought to its attention that notice had been served to the complainant, Amrutha Varshini, Pranay's wife, only after arguments in the appeal had commenced. Amrutha's counsel strongly objected to the continuation of the hearing, pointing out that substantial submissions had already been made on behalf of the petitioner (Sravan Kumar) before the complainant was formally notified. Sravan Kumar is Amrutha's paternal uncle. You Can Also Check: Hyderabad AQI | Weather in Hyderabad | Bank Holidays in Hyderabad | Public Holidays in Hyderabad The high court said that although it had directed the additional public prosecutor (APP) on April 22, 2025, to ensure that notice was served to Amrutha, the actual serving of notice took place only on June 12, after several rounds of arguments had already taken place. Meanwhile, the public prosecutor (PP) opposed hearing the petition for suspension of sentence, citing the absence of lower court records, which he said were essential for the court to fairly evaluate the appeal. In response, Sravan Kumar's counsel argued that detailed arguments had been presented since May 1, 2025, and all relevant documents were already before the court. However, the court recorded that the high court registry had received the trial court records, and that paper book preparation-a compilation of trial documents for the appeal-was underway as of June 16, 2025. In the interest of procedural fairness and to ensure all parties are adequately represented, the high court ruled that the suspension petition would be heard only after the paper books are completed and shared. It also directed Sravan Kumar's counsel to re-argue the matter in full, once the documents are circulated, to provide the complainant and all parties a fair opportunity to respond.
