The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Somasekhara panel proceedings stayed

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 23, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Somasekhara panel proceedings stayed

By Our Legal Correspondent

HYDERABAD, FEB. 22. All further proceedings before the Justice Somasekhara Commission investigating the Yeleru canal land compensation payment scam were stayed by a Division Bench of the High Court on Tuesday.

These interim stay orders were given by the Division Bench comprising Bilal Nazki and L. Narasimha Reddy while dealing with two separate writ petitions filed by the Telugu Desam Party and P. Pothi Naidu, an advocate from Vishakhapatnam district, facing charges in the scam.

Case background

It may be recalled that there were allegations that records were manipulated to hike the compensation payable to persons whose lands were acquired for canals for the Yeleru project. It was further alleged that the real beneficiaries did not get the money and middlemen and politicians swindled it. After a writ petition was filed in the High Court the then Government appointed a commission of inquiry.

Mr. Pothi Naidu then filed a writ petition challenging the appointment of the commission. After several rounds of litigation which went up to the Supreme Court, the Congress Government reconstituted the commission reappointing the same judge. Mr. Pothi Naidu filed a writ petition in this regard.

TDP charge

When senior leaders of the Telugu Desam were called and grilled by the commission, the party filed another petition, charging the Judge with bias The two cases have been posted before a special Bench constituted for adjudicating these cases and today, the Judges heard the preliminary arguments.

Further and final arguments will be heard from Thursday.

Our Special Correspondent adds:

The commission was revived on June 22, 2004, by the Congress Government after it was scrapped by the TDP Government. After its revival, the commission held two sittings each in Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam. The High Court ordered the interim stay even as the Commission was holding a sitting in Vizag on Tuesday.

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