NIA judge is back at work after HC rejects resignation
The Hyderabad high court on Thursday rejected the resignation of K Ravinder Reddy, the judge who had quit his duties after acquitting the five accused in the Mecca Masjid blast case on Monday.
Reddy, a senior judge handling National Investigation Agency (NIA) cases in Hyderabad, resumed work at the fourth metropolitan sessions court after the high court cancelled his leave as well. He had gone on leave for 15 days on Monday.
The high court’s reason for rejecting Reddy’s resignation is not immediately known. On Wednesday, Hindustan Times reported that people close to Reddy said he had cited “personal reasons” and “injustice to Telangana” as factors for his resignation.
The judge’s decision to step down gave rise to speculation that he had come under intense pressure to acquit all the accused in the sensational case.
Reddy faces charges of corruption in granting out-of-turn anticipatory bail to a Kadapa realtor in a forgery case last year. The allegations were made in an affidavit submitted by Hyderabad businessman M Krishna Reddy to the high court on December 11, 2017.
Reddy, who is also the president of Telangana Judicial Officers Association, retires in June. There is also talk that he might have resigned, as he little chance being promoted as a high court judge due to delay in bifurcation of the common high court for Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
The family of Kiran Bala, who is said to have embraced Islam in Lahore, is in shock. Bala, whose mechanic husband died in a road accident in 2013, has three children aged six, eight, and 12 years. Even as Bala has approached the Pakistan government for an extension of her visa, her in-laws are seeking ways to get her back.
Tarsem Singh, father-in-law of Bala (now Amna Bibi), on Thursday formally lodged a complaint with police that his daughter-inlaw might have been “forcibly converted”. “I cannot say how she came in contact with the man she has apparently married. It could be through social media,” he alleged.
Singh met Garhshankar deputy superintendent of police and urged the media to lend a helping hand. “If her visa is not extended, she will have no choice but to come back home,” he said.
Singh revealed he had accompanied Bala to Amritsar on April 10 and met SGPC officials before her pilgrimage to Nankana Sahib and other gurdwaras in Pakistan.
“I had told SGPC officials that Kiran was alone as no other family member or friend was accompanying her. They told me not to worry. Now, when reports of her converting have emerged, the SGPC is mum,” he said. He added that he was saddened to get the news of the conversion from the media and not the SGPC.
“She called home several times to inform about her well being but never dropped a hint that she will not return. I learnt from media that she has married Mohammed Azam of Lahore,” he said. Singh said that no one was threatening Bala as claimed by her in her application for visa extension.”We are worried for her safety,” he said.
Singh said that Bala belonged to a Hindu family from Delhi and had adopted Sikhism after marrying his son Narinder Singh in 2005. He has now appealed to the President, Prime Minister, home minister, Punjab chief minister, Punjab Police, and SGPC to make efforts to bring his daughter-inlaw back.
HYDERABAD: GARHSHANKAR (HOSHIARPUR):