Telangana High Court had issued notices to Narayankhed MLA M. Bhupal Reddy and officials of the State government in a PIL petition which sought action against the legislator for celebrating his birthday violating lockdown rules.
A social worker M. Vittal, who filed the petition, said the MLA had celebrated his 61st birthday on May 7, when the lockdown rules announced by the Central and State governments were in force.
The birthday event was organised breaching all rules of lockdown and nearly 500 persons attended it, the petitioner said. Hearing contentions of the petitioner, a bench of Chief Justice Raghvendra Singh Chauhan and Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy issued notice to the MLA and asked him to file a counter affidavit in a week.
The large gathering was allowed in total violation of lockdown rules. For any such events not more than 20 persons were allowed. Majority of the participants of the event did not maintain physical distance and wear masks, which apparently would lead to spread coronavirus, the petitioner’s counsel D. Raghavender Rao said.
Notices were also issued to Chief Secretary, Home Secretary, DGP, Sangareddy SP, Sangareddy Collector, Sangareddy Municipal Commissioner to explain on what grounds the birthday event was permitted.
In another PIL petition, the bench directed the government to file a detailed report on the steps taken to check hike in prices of essential commodities and vegetables during the lockdown period. Expressing dissatisfaction over a report submitted earlier by the government on the matter, the bench said the lesser number of cases booked by the police over jacked up prices of essential commodities indicated that government was not acting tough.
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