Hyderabad: Court Orders Removal of Objectionable Video of Damaged Idol
The Telangana High Court, led by Justice Bollam Vijaysen Reddy, took action on Tuesday regarding a video showing a damaged idol of the goddess at the Muthyalamma Temple in Secunderabad. The court instructed the CEO of the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (ICCCC), based in Delhi, to immediately delete the URL and website displaying the video.
Additionally, Justice Reddy ordered the SHO of Marredpally to take immediate action based on the petitioner’s complaint, in line with legal procedures. The petitioner was also asked to provide all necessary documents to the SHO to facilitate the action.
The case was brought forward by advocate Immaneni Rama Rao from West Marredpally. He expressed concerns that the inaction of the ICCCC in restricting public access to the video could lead to unrest and communal disharmony in the state. The video shows a person entering the temple and damaging the idol, which has sparked concerns about law and order issues.
The petitioner’s lawyer pointed out that despite the complaint being forwarded to the Marredpally SHO by the CEO of ICCCC, no action had been taken to address the damage to the idol. Justice Reddy agreed that the authorities had not acted on the complaint.
Further, the counsel informed the court about the involvement of cyber terrorism groups, such as the “Islamic State of Khorasan Province,” which are spreading terror ideology through websites. These activities, according to the lawyer, are not limited to Telangana but are affecting the entire country, creating a hostile environment and disturbing communal peace.
The court has scheduled the next hearing for November 5.
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Notices Issued for Indiramma Committees Writ
In a separate case on Tuesday, Justice Nagesh Bheemapaka issued notices to several key officials regarding the formation of Indiramma Committees. These committees were set up to implement the Indiramma Indlu Programme, which aims to provide housing for the poor.
The court directed the Secretary (Transport, Roads, and Buildings), the MD of Telangana Housing Corporation Ltd, and the Secretary of the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs to respond by October 28. They were asked to explain the reasons for forming these committees without consulting gram sabhas (village assemblies) and ward committees, which play a significant role in local governance.
The writ was filed by A Maheshwar Reddy, a leader from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), who argued that the formation of the Indiramma Committees violated certain legal procedures. Reddy’s counsel stated that the committees were formed by government officials in consultation with the district’s in-charge minister, bypassing the gram sabhas and ward committees.
The counsel expressed concerns that this method of selecting committee members could result in favoritism, benefiting only those aligned with the ruling party. This, they argued, goes against the purpose of the Indiramma Indlu Programme.
The petitioner claimed that the decision to form these committees without involving local governance bodies violated the 73rd Constitutional Amendment and the Telangana Panchayat Raj Act of 2018. The court has postponed the hearing on this issue to October 28.
