The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Monday dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging the State Government’s decision to extend legal assistance to the tainted ministers, who received notices from the Supreme Court in connection with issue of controversial GOs that favoured YSR Congress president Jagan Mohan Reddy amass alleged illegal wealth.
While quashing the PIL filed by OM Debara, a retired employee, the court observed that it could not interfere in the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court as the case was pending before it. The petitioner sought cancellation of GOs 3102 and 3158 issued on July 7 and 10 and said providing legal assistance to those facing a case in the Supreme Court was unconstitutional.
In his petition, Debara contended that according permission to ministers Dharmana Prasada Rao (Roads and Buildings), P Sabitha Indira Reddy (Home), Kanna Lakshminarayana (Agriculture), Dr J Geeta Reddy (Major Industries) and Ponnala Lakshmaiah (Information Technology) to engage lawyers and offering to bear all legal expenses was arbitrary and contrary to the public interests.
The petitioner said that the High Court had directed the CBI to probe the GOs issued by the YSR Government allegedly to benefit some companies which invested in companies owned by Jagan Mohan Reddy. (INN)