Telangana: Judge allows 226 petitions on agriculture panel
Justice Surepalli Nanda of the Telangana High Court recorded a sizeable single day clearance on April 29, disposing of 226 writ petitions inter alia involving the appointment of official persons in-charge committees (PICC) to primary agricultural cooperative societies (PACS). In a batch of writ pleas, the petitioners sought to direct the registrar, co-operative societies, to hold elections to farmer cooperative societies. Justice Nanda was dealing with a batch of writ petitions challenging GO Rt. No. 597 issued by the agriculture and cooperation department for appointment of official PICCs to the PACS.
The petitioners questioned the appointment of government nominees to the managing committees of such societies. They contended that the action violated the Cooperative Societies Act and constitutional protections accorded to cooperatives. Another connected batch of petitions challenged GO Rt. No. 386, which permitted the registrar of cooperative societies to manage the affairs of societies where the term of the elected managing committees was ending. The petitioners contended that such an arrangement could not displace elected managing committees contrary to the statutory scheme. The state informed the judge that a new order was passed to replace the GO which formed the subject matter of the writ petitions. Justice Nanda disposed of the batch, while preserving the elected arrangement in the meantime. The judge observed that the elected managing committees existing as on February 14, 2025, shall continue until the government took a decision on the subject issue.
No relief for cop, wife in sexual exploitation case
Justice J. Sreenivas Rao of the Telangana High Court refused to quash an FIR registered against a police sub-inspector and his wife in a case involving allegations of sexual exploitation on a false promise of marriage and caste-based abuse. The judge was dealing with criminal petitions filed by sub-inspector Sannidanam Suresh and his wife Udaya Bharati seeking quashing of an FIR registered at the Kukatpally police station. The case of the de-facto complainant, a woman constable posted at the police station, was that the sub-inspector used his official position to repeatedly contact and harass her despite her disinterest. It was alleged that he later forcibly established physical relations with her on the promise of marriage, repeatedly compelled her to undergo abortions and continued to harass her through calls, video calls and messages. The complainant alleged that the petitioner refused to marry her citing caste differences and social reasons.
Counsel for the petitioners contended that the relationship between him and the complainant was consensual and that the allegations under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act were not attracted. It was argued that there were no specific allegations against the wife of the petitioner except a vague assertion of caste abuse over a phone call, which did not occur within public view. Opposing the plea, counsel for the complainant argued that the complainant furnished WhatsApp messages, call records and other electronic evidence to the investigating officer and that witnesses supported the allegations. The judge noted that the investigation was at a nascent stage and that there were specific allegations against the petitioner of using his official position to intimidate the complainant into a sexual relationship on a false promise of marriage and that the allegations prima facie disclosed cognizable offences. Justice Sreenivas Rao observed that criminal proceedings should not be scuttled at the threshold when the FIR disclosed cognisable offences and investigation was underway. Holding that the case did not warrant quashing of proceedings, the judge dismissed both criminal petitions.
