Coercion Regarding Traffic Challans: High Court Issues Contempt Notices to Home Secretary and DGP
Hyderabad:The Telangana High Court on Friday issued notices to the home secretary and Director General of Police (DGP) in a contempt case alleging violation of its earlier orders regarding the police forcefully collecting traffic challans. Justice N.V. Shravan Kumar passed the orders in a petition filed by V. Raghavendra Chary, who claimed that traffic police seized his vehicle despite court directions prohibiting coercive action for pending e-challans.
The court also served notices to the additional commissioner of police (traffic), Hyderabad, the transport commissioner, and personnel of the Chikkadpally traffic police station and posted the matter to June 19.
Appearing for the petitioner, counsel Vijay Gopal argued that in January, the High Court had directed authorities not to take coercive measures, such as seizing vehicles of motorists with pending challans. Instead, officials were directed to initiate legal proceedings by filing chargesheets in the appropriate courts.
The petitioner alleged that on April 9 at RTC crossroads, traffic police personnel stopped him, accused him of not wearing the helmet strap, and seized his scooter over pending challans. He claimed that the officers refused to accept his digital Registration Certificate (RC) from the RTA M-Wallet app, confiscated the original RC, and publicly humiliated him despite his willingness to clear the dues.
The petitioner contended that the incident amounted to a blatant violation of the High Court’s orders as well as the Central Motor Vehicles Rules.
NGT Notices Union Govt, NHAI Over Environmental Clearance for Hyderabad Regional Ring Road (RRR)
Hyderabad:The National Green Tribunal (NGT) Chennai Bench has issued notices to the Union government and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) in a petition challenging the environmental clearance (EC) granted for the proposed Regional Ring Road (RRR) project around northern part of Hyderabad.
The NGT directed the respondents to submit an explanation on the circumstances under which the environmental clearance was granted. The tribunal also sought records related to the approval process. The next hearing has been scheduled after four weeks.
Gauraram Sri Ram Reddy from Medak district and Kata Arulappa from Hyderabad, along with others from affected regions, in their petitions raised serious objections to the EC granted for the RRR-North which passes through Sangareddy, Medak, Siddipet, Bhuvanagiri, and Nalgonda districts.
According to the petitioners, the clearance was issued in a “mechanical and perfunctory manner” without assessing the project’s environmental and social impact. They alleged that the project was artificially segmented to downplay its overall footprint and avoid comprehensive scrutiny.
The plea claimed that the environmental impact assessment (EIA) report relied on flawed and incomplete baseline data, and that key facts were either misrepresented or suppressed. The petitioners argued that the application submitted by the NHAI contained inaccuracies and should have been rejected by the Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change.
A major concern highlighted in the petition was the impact on agricultural land and rural communities. The farmers contended that the project would cause irreversible damage to fertile land and local habitations, which was not properly evaluated during the clearance process. They also alleged violations in the public consultation process, stating that the hearings were conducted improperly and that objections raised by affected communities were ignored.
