Justice K Lakshman Grants Exemption to KTR and Others in Drone Case
On Monday, Justice K Lakshman of the Telangana High Court granted relief to Sircilla BRS MLA KT Rama Rao (KTR), along with former MLAs Gandra Venkata Ramana Reddy and Balka Suman, by excusing them from personal appearance before the trial court. This exemption pertains to FIR No.118 of 2024, filed at the Mahadevapur Police Station, which involves allegations under Sections 223(b) and 3(5) of the Bharath Nyaya Samhitha (BNS).
The case arises from a complaint by Vali Shaik, Assistant Executive Engineer of Irrigation Sub-Division No.5 in Ambatipally, Jayashankar Bhupalapally district. The complaint alleges that on July 26, between 12:30 pm and 2 pm, the petitioners and others affiliated with the BRS visited the Medigadda Barrage in Ambatipally. They are accused of using a drone to capture footage of the barrage without prior permission or notice.
Bench Recuses Itself from PIL on Law Admissions
A division bench of the Telangana High Court, led by Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice J. Sreenivas Rao, has recused itself from hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) challenging delays in law course admissions for the 2024-25 academic year in Telangana. During a previous hearing on July 24, 2024, the bench had planned to set guidelines and a schedule for LLB admissions in the state, with implementation slated for the next academic year. The case was adjourned to August 12, 2024, for further review.
On Monday, senior counsel L. Ravichander, representing the Bar Council of India, presented a list of ineligible colleges, including NALSAR University of Law, where Chief Justice Alok Aradhe is the chancellor. This disclosure raised concerns about a possible conflict of interest. Consequently, the division bench recused itself and directed the court registry to reassign the case to a bench led by Justice Sujoy Paul.