Who is Behind This PIL Against the High Court Bench?

A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed in Andhra Pradesh High Court in Amaravati against the State government’s decision to establish a High Court Bench in Kurnool city.

The lawyer for the petition argued that the letter sent by Law Secretary to the High Court was against rules. During the hearing, the High Court said that the final decision regarding the Bench was with it. No letter will influence the High Court, it said.

Advocates Thandava Yogesh and Turaga Sai Surya filed the PIL requesting the High Court to quash the state government’s decision. In its response, the High Court said it gathered data from other states about establishing a Bench. It said it was also collecting data to understand if there was a need for a Bench in AP.

Since it hasn’t come to a decision yet, why was a PIL filed, asked the High Court.

Meanwhile, the petitioners said the Bench was more about sentiments, emotions and political equations than necessity. At a time when e-filing and teleconferencing were being used in trials, there was no need for a separate HC Bench, they said.

They also countered the argument of Kurnool being the center of Rayalaseema and pointed out that Kurnool was at one corner of Rayalaseema and was closer to Hyderabad.

The petitioners said that the state government did not have the authority to establish HC anywhere other than Amaravati. They further said the Chief Justice had the authority in the matter and not the Chief Minister.

The petitioners asked why the distance rule did not apply to Assembly or Secretariat. Establishing a Bench in Kurnool would undermine the judiciary, they said.

As mentioned earlier in the story, the High Court wondered why the PIL was filed even before it took a final decision. But the big question is who could be behind the PIL and what is their primary agenda.