Hyderabad:The Telangana High Court will continue to hear a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging the proposed Elf Radar Project in the Damagundam Reserve Forest. A two-judge panel consisting of acting Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Renuka Yara are dealing with the PIL filed by Damagundam Forest Conservation Jac Jac-Save Damagundam. The petitioner believes that the project is arbitrary, illegal and harmful to vulnerable ecosystems and threatens biodiversity and local livelihoods.
PIL seeks to cancel the 2014 GO, a thorough Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and a public hearing with affected communities. The petitioner also seeks to prepare a biodiversity register for the people, patents of local gram cakes on medicinal plants, and protect religious places within the forest. The team directed the Telangana Pollution Control Commission and other authorities to respond in PIL and release the matter within two weeks for further hearing.
Writing seeks FIR transfer to CID against Chit Fund
The Telangana High Court will continue to hear a written petition requesting the transfer of all 56 FIRs registered to the Akshara Chit Fund Pvt. Ltd and its directors went to Telangana Crime Investigation Department (CID). The writ petition was filed by the Akshara Chit Fund and involved allegations of criminal trust violations and cheating after investors complained about mature fundraising for not paying. Justice T. Vinod acknowledged a written petition filed by the petitioners, who argued that in February 2024, the Karimnagar Police Department arrested the company’s chairman and four directors on charges of abuse of investors’ funds. In addition, in February 2025, the state government ordered the attachment to property worth Rs 14.2 crore belonging to Akshara Chit Funds Pvt. Ltd and Akshara Township Pvt. Limited liability protected under the Telangana Protection Financial Institutions Act 1999. The petitioner said the company held secure deposits from relevant CHIT registrars that exceeded its liabilities. The petitioners claimed that their total liability was Rs 94.12 crore, close to 3,721 CHIT subscribers, and received a secure deposit worth Rs 10,62 crore, with a legal termination of fundraising at Rs 652.
They attributed the company’s financial difficulties to the Covid-19-19 pandemic, which led to widespread defaults by subscribers who have received payments, resulting in €109.1118 billion owed to the company. The petitioner also requested the appointment of the receiver – Liquid Liquid to be responsible for the secure deposit and mortgage property owned by the CHIT registrar. The petitioner recommends that the funds be used to resolve subscribers’ liabilities, thereby preventing further criminal proceedings against the company and its directors. The government seeks additional time to review the complaints. Taking into account the above request, the judge released the matter within four weeks for further trial.
The Ministry of Education’s selection process challenge
Justice Namavarapu Rajeshwar Rao of the High Court of Telangana filed a writ plea, challenging the actions of the state education department and other authorities in the process of changing the selection of special education teachers (elementary schools) in the secondary teacher category. The judge is handling a writ request from J. Suman, who believes that the proficiency test of candidates running for Bangalore holding a CSR certificate was arbitrary and changed the selection process halfway through. The petitioner believes that despite being awarded another candidate in the pre-appointed caste category in the Komaram Bheem Asifabad district, he was ignored but appointed another candidate. The petitioner seeks to cancel the appointment of the selected candidate and requires him to grant the position with qualifications, wage arrears and other consequence benefits. Plus, he prays to consider the same role in any future position. After hearing the petitioner’s lawyers, the judge directed the government defense lawyer to obtain instructions and issue the matter for further hearing.
HC decides quotas in judicial recruitment
Two panels of judges in the Telangana High Court will decide a writ plea, challenging the recruitment of the Telangana High Court’s registered officer to implement a maximum of 10% reservation for the booking of tribal candidates in the judiciary recruitment across Telangana. A group composed of Justice Sam Koshy and Justice Narsing Rao Nandikonda held a writ filed by a student, Rathlavath Sathish. The petitioner believes that despite a submission of a representative in January 2025 to demand a GO dated November 9, 2022, the defendants took no action. The petitioner believes that such inaction is arbitrary, unjust and unconstitutional. The petitioner is seeking instructions from the defendant to implement the retention policy to recruit positions such as typist, field assistant, stenographer, junior assistant and other positions in the Department of Justice. The panel directed the respondent authorities to submit their reply.
