The AP High Court on Monday directed the state government to submit the list of the people against whom recovery proceedings have been initiated for carrying out sand quarrying across the state by Wednesday. A Division Bench, comprising Chief Justice Madan B. Lokur and Justice P.V. Sanjay Kumar, was dealing with a batch of writ petitions against the illegal sand quarrying in the state.

While reiterating the commitment of the state government in curbing illegal sand mining advocate-general A. Sudarshan Reddy urged the court to allow the government to conduct an auction, vacating the stay on sand mining in the state. This comes in light of the High Court having imposed a ban on sand auctions and mining in the state from April 1. The A-G told the court that construction activity had come to a grinding halt due to non-availability of sand.

Citing a case where a contractor excavated about 20,000 cubic meters of sand, contrary to the lease provisions, the CJ wondered what the officials had been doing when there was so much illegal mining taking place. He also pointed out that the government had been granting stays on penalties imposed on contractors for violating the lease. In response, the A-G said that in some instances, the HC too had granted a stay on recovery of penalty from contractors. While the courts were not to be blamed, the CJ said, he was not inclined to lift the ban.

He asked the A-G to submit the list, with an explanation of the benami names, including contractors who had participated in the auction in this unlawful manner when they had been disqualified for indulging in illegal mining. The case was posted to Thursday.

No stay on power hike
The AP High Court on Monday refused to grant an interim stay on the power tariff hike which is likely to come into force from April. G. Prabhakar Rao, a retired employee of the AP Electricity Board, had challenged the power tariff hike proposed by the AP Transco. While admitting the writ, the bench issued notices to the state government, the AP Transco and Discoms, directing them to file their counter affidavits on the plea.

‘No’ to hearing on transer
A Division Bench, comprising Chief Justice Madan B. Lokur and Justice P. V. Sanjay Kumar, on Monday said that it was not inclined to hear a plea on the transfer of K. Srinivas Reddy from the ACB's SIT to the Coast Guard Security Wing. A city resident, O. M. Debara had filed a writ, seeking a direction to monitor the ongoing inve-stigation of the ACB into the alleged liquor scam. He filed an additional affidavit, seeking a stay on the transfer of Mr Srinivas Reddy. Mr Debara's counsel urged the court to take up the case in view of its urgency. He submitted that the public representatives, allegedly involved in the scam, had been pressurising the government to transfer the official when this would have an adverse effect on the probe.

Emaar accused plea dismissed
Justice R. Subhash Reddy of the High Court on Monday dismissed the petitions of APIIC MD B.R. Meena and its former chairman Sivarama Subrahmanyam, challenging the order of the ACB Special Court to register a case against them. The Special Court had on March 14 directed the ACB to register a case against them and probe the allegation that they had demanded a bribe from Emaar Properties with whom they had an ongoing dispute. The order followed a complaint by a practising advocate V. Sai Raju who sought a probe into allegations by G. Vijay Raghav, Emaar MGF Ltd finance head, (south) against the duo. Mr Vijay Raghav had said that they demanded villas worth `35 crore in Dubai to settle the controversy.

The petitioners told the court that the CBI was already investigating the Emaar case, based on the direction of a Division Bench of the High Court. They contended that the complaint was a manipulative exercise, designed to dilute the ongoing investigation and to reopen a new channel of investigation to prolong the case. Meanwhile, the CBI submitted to the High Court that it will file charges-heet against Vijay Ragh-av and Sunil reddy by the end of April. The CBI filed a counter affidavit on Monday, pursuant to the bail plea of Vijay Raghav.

The CBI informed the court that it will take some more time to ascertain the role of Sunil Reddy, Sravan Gupta and others in the scam. Later, counsel for Emaar complained that the CBI did not serve the counter affidavit and sought time to respond to it. The case was adjourned to April 16.

Plea against song in film
Justice R. Subhash Reddy on Monday directed the counsel for the producer of the Telugu film, Raccha, to file a counter affidavit on a plea filed against the film. The All India Lay Buddhist Organisation filed the plea, seeking a direction to delete a song from the movie which was shot in front of Buddha's statue.