The Supreme Court on Monday issued stay orders on APCID inquiry against ABN Andhra Jyothy and TV5 news channels.

The APCID filed FIR against these two channels along with YSRCP rebel MP Raghurama Krishnam Raju early this month in connection with sedition charges.

Both the channels challenged the APCID FIRs registered against them in the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court issued notices to Andhra Pradesh government and the APCID to file their counters within four weeks.

The Supreme Court also directed ABN and TV5 channels to file their counters on the counters filed by AP government and APCID within two weeks.

The Supreme Court adjourned the case by six weeks.

The Supreme Court of India has set aside an order given by the High Court of Andhra Pradesh to probe into the conspiracy angle in the audio tapes case of former judge Justice Eeswaraiah. The Apex Court said that there was no need for probing whether Justice Eeswaraiah has made allegations of illegal land dealings by the relatives of a Supreme Court judge in Amaravati Capital City area.

SC bench consisting of Justice Ashok Bhushan and Justice Subhash Reddy further said that the High Court should only consider the maintainability of the public interest litigation without going into the merits of the audio tape. The SC order came after holding hearings on the petition filed by Justice Eeswaraiah.
It may be recalled that the High Court in the past heard a petition filed by former judge S. Ramakrishna who submitted an audio recorded conversation. In this, Justice Eeswaraiah was heard as trying to persuade Justice Ramakrishna while making some critical remarks against the then Chief Justice of High Court and the SC judge.

At that time, the High Court ordered an inquiry by retired Supreme Court judge Justice Ravindran to find out whether Justice Eeswaraiah hatched a conspiracy to defame the SC judge.

The Supreme Court of India has stayed the order of the AP High Court to proceed with the contempt proceedings against AP IAS Officer and Mission Build AP head Praveen Kumar. The SC bench consisting of Chief Justice SA Bobde, Justice AS Bopanna and Justice Rama Subramanian, issued the stay orders.

The Mission Build AP case has created a sensation in political and judicial circles. Especially, retired High Court Judge Justice Rakesh Kumar passed serious comments in his order against AP Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy and also the Supreme Court collegium. Justice Rakesh issued contempt proceedings against Praveen Kumar for giving a wrong affidavit in which some false statements were attributed to him.

At that time, Jagan’s letter to the Chief Justice of India created a national level sensation. Justice Rakesh has also commented on this saying that the transfers of judges after this letter have sent a wrong message to the people.

Justice Rakesh took a serious view of the AP regime’s actions till his last day and he shifted to his native Bihar after retirement. Now, the Supreme Court offered relief to the IAS Officer against whom Justice Rakesh has leveled serious objections.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to entertain a plea seeking action against illegal ashrams run by fake “babas” across the country.

A bench headed by Chief Justice S.A. Bobde and comprising Justices A. S Bopanna and V. Ramasubramanian said: “How will court find out who is a fake baba?”

As senior advocate Menaka Guruswamy, representing Dumpala Ramreddy, a resident of Secunderabad, said that the Akhil Bharatiya Akahara Parishad has prepared a list of fake babas in the country, the Chief Justice asked how could they rely on the Parishad’s decision on identifying fake babas.

Guruswamy replied that it is the apex body of Akaharas and traces its linage to Adi Shankara. But the bench said: “The list has been prepared without hearing them or how does this list come into force.”

She cited the conviction of godman Ram Rahim, and the Chief Justice said: “All the more reason not to go to them. Why do you want the SC to intervene?”

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta opposed the plea and cited petitioner’s habeas corpus petition in the Delhi High Court seeking custody of his daughter, allegedly been kept in illegal confinement by an alleged godman.

The bench observed that it does not want to disrespect any Akhara Parishad. “How can the Supreme Court enter into this realm. Court cannot look into it,” said the bench.

“Menaka Guruswamy, learned senior counsel appearing for the petitioner seeks permission to withdraw this petition. Permission, as sought for, is granted. Accordingly, the writ petition is dismissed as withdrawn,” the top court said in its order.

In his plea, Ramreddy said: “Though very serious criminal cases were registered against Veerendra Dev Dixit, Asaram Bapu, Ram Rahim baba, etc…, their ashrams are still run with the help of their close associates and the authorities are not verifying the facilities available over there.”

The plea urged the apex court to direct the authorities to frame guidelines in setting up of ‘Ashrams’, citing rape accused Dixit, who ran ‘Adhyatmika Vishwa Vidhyalaya’ at Rohini in Delhi, where his daughter stayed for nearly five years. Following complaints from many girls, this Ashram was raided by a court-appointed panel.