Hyderabad:Justice Nagesh Bheemapaka of the Telangana High Court quashed retirement orders issued by the Andhra Pradesh Vikalangula Cooperative Corporation (APVCC) against seven visually challenged employees, holding that the termination was in violation of the principles of natural justice and the due process of law. The judge directed immediate reinstatement of the petitioners along with full back wages, continuity of service, and pensionary benefits. The judge was dealing with a writ plea filed by Cirikonda Mallesh and six others, who contended that they were employed by APVCC as early as in 1987 and 1990, and were forcibly retired through an order dated November 25, 2012, citing an age determination report allegedly placing them above the retirement age of 60.
The petitioners contended that they were retired without prior notice and that the process of medical age verification lacked scientific rigour and transparency. The petitioners claimed that they were summoned for a medical examination at Osmania General Hospital in August 2012 without being informed that their long-accepted dates of birth, recorded in their service registers at the time of joining, were under scrutiny. The judge observed that the corporation failed to provide any showcause notice or opportunity for the employees to respond before issuing the retirement order. The unilateral decision, based on questionable medical reports, was deemed arbitrary and unsustainable in law. The respondents defended their action, claiming that the original appointments of the petitioners were irregular and made without proper approval or adherence to recruitment norms. However, the judge noted that no individual inquiry or allegations of fraud were established against the petitioners, and their service records, including dates of birth, had been accepted and acted upon for over two decades.
Player seeks polls to Fencing assn
Justice E.V. Venugopal of the Telangana High Court took on file a writ petition challenging the inaction of department of sports and other authorities in conducting fair and transparent elections to the Telangana Fencing Association. The judge was hearing a writ petition filed by M. Mukender, a private employee and senior international fencing player. The petitioner assailed the failure of respondent authorities to act on his representation seeking the conduct of elections to elect a committee for the Telangana Fencing Association in accordance with its bylaws. The petitioner alleged that the existing committee was functioning without a valid mandate and was engaged in favouritism, including collusion to select players from outside Telangana, thereby depriving local players of equal opportunity. The petitioner alleged that no fair elections had been held and that players from several districts are being sidelined, contrary to the objectives of promoting the sport across the State. The petitioner sought a direction to the respondent authorities, including the Telangana Olympic Association, Sports Authority of Telangana State, and the Fencing Association of India, to consider his representation and conduct fair and transparent elections to the Telangana Fencing Association by following the prescribed procedures. The judge posted the matter for further hearing.
