MP Raghu Ramakrishna Raju‘s PIL against ‘government corruption’ adjourned following the recusal of a judge
The Hindu
Justice R. Raghunandan Rao recused from hearing YSR Congress MP's petition for court-monitored inquiry into illegal decisions & corrupt activities of State govt. Chief Justice Dhiraj Thakur to constitute new Bench to take up matter
Justice R. Raghunandan Rao on Wednesday recused from hearing the petition filed by YSR Congress Party MP K. Raghu Ramakrishna Raju for a court-monitored inquiry into the illegal decisions and corrupt activities of the State government.
The petition was listed before a division Bench led by Chief Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur of A.P. High Court and comprising Justice Raghunandan Rao, who opted out of the hearing, saying that some parties to the PIL were his clients earlier.
Then the Chief Justice said he would constitute a new Bench to take up the matter on a later date.
Advocate-General S. Sriram represented the State while senior advocate Unnam Muralidhar Rao appeared for the petitioner.
In his petition, the MP insisted that the inquiry was essential to unravel the corruption and embezzlement of public money in favour of some individuals and several private companies involved in various projects/schemes.
Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, MP V. Vijay Sai Reddy, Government Advisor Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy and Minister Peddireddi Ramachandra Reddy are among the respondents.
“We are judges and therefore, cannot act like Mughals of a bygone era ... the writ courts in the guise of doing justice cannot transcend the barriers of law,” the High Court of Karnataka observed while setting aside an order of a single judge, who in 2016 had extended the lease of a public premises allotted to a physically challenged person to 20 years contrary to 12-year period stipulated in the law.
The High Court of Karnataka on Monday declined to interfere, at present, in the investigation against a Bharatiya Janata Party worker, who is among the accused persons facing charges of circulating obscene clips, related to “morphed” images and videos clips related to Prajwal Revanna, former Hassan MP, in public domain through pen drives and other modes.