Hyderabad, February 09: Justice Nooty Ram Mohan Rao of the Andhra Pradesh High Court on Tuesday recused himself from hearing a writ petition on the question of the retirement of archakas working in temples under the Endowments Act, citing emotional attachment.
The judge recalled with tears in his eyes the visit of an archaka long back when he was still a lawyer in the State capital.
The priest had money neither for boarding nor lodging, he said and regretted the tragic plight of dalit priests in the State. He refused to the hear a matter with which he was emotionally attached.
The writ petition was filed by T Jitendra Prasad, Upa Pradhana Archaka of Anjaneya Swamy temple in Karimnagar, questioning as to why the State government had retained the age of super-annuation of archakas at 65 instead of 58 despite a decision to make it 58 by a division bench of the High Court. Justice Ram Mohan Rao had appeared in that matter before the division bench as a lawyer. The plea will now be placed before the CJ.
–Agencies