The AP High Court on Monday issued a notice to P. Ahobala Rao, alias Billy Rao, of IMG Academics Bharata, on two PILs, seeking a CBI probe into a land deal between the state government and IMG Bharata. A Division Bench of the High Court, comprising acting Chief Justice P.C. Ghose and Justice Vilas V. Afzulpurkar, was dealing with two petitions by T. Sriranga Rao, a practising advocate of the city, V. Vijaya Sai Reddy, YSR Congress chief Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy's auditor and veteran journalist A.B.K. Prasad, seeking a CBI probe into the land deal.
Vedula Venkatramana, senior counsel appearing for Billy Rao, submitted that his client was a main signatory of the MoU between the government and the company and ought to be given an opportunity to be heard before any orders on the case were passed. Billy Rao was asked to file his counter-affidavit within a week and the petitioners to reply in another week's time.
HC stays Auto permits for now
A Division Bench comprising acting Chief Justice P.C. Ghose and Justice Vilas V. Afzulpurkar of the AP High Court on Monday stayed a GO permitting registration of 20,000 new autorickshaws allowing them to ply within GHMC limits. The Bench was dealing with a petition by a practising advocate S. Raju, challenging the GO issued on September 5, 2012.
Advocate P.V. Krishnaiah, appearing for the petitioner, contended that the autorickshaws with a 2-stroke engine released more smoke than the 4-stroke auto rickshaws and hence many states have imposed a ban on registration of such vehicles. He said that the government did not specify in the GO whether it granted permission to only 4-stroke engines or 2- stroke engines. The GO was issued without obtaining any report or opinion from statutory bodies, particularly from the Pollution Control Board, he added. While granting interim stay, the Bench directed the authorities to file their counter-affidavits.
Tobacco ban report sought
The AP High Court on Monday directed the state government to submit a compliance report on wh-ether it has implemented the rules specified under the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India to implement the ban imposed on manufacture and sale of gutkha, paan masala and other forms of chewing tobacco containing nicotine as ingredient.
A Division Bench comprising acting Chief Justice P. C. Ghose and Justice Vilas V. Afzulpurkar was dealing with a petition by one Vaibhav Aulak seeking a direction to impose a ban on manufacture and sale of gutkha, paan masala and other forms of chewing tobacco.