Andhra Pradesh Intellectuals’ and Citizens’ Forum (APIC) president and former RTI Commissioner P. Vijay Babu has said that the Andhra Pradesh High Court (HC) judgment on Amaravati is open to ‘fair criticism devoid of any mala fide intentions’.
“The judgment should not be interpreted in a reckless manner as the court’s decision is based on law and the information available to the judges, who should not be assumed to have given the verdict without a thorough understanding of the matter. At the same time, freedom of expression can not be curbed in the guise of contempt of court,” Mr. Vijay Babu told teh media here on Saturday.
‘Media trial’
He said that it was for a larger Bench of the High Court or the highest court of the land (Supreme Court) to review the judgment. “It is not advisable for anyone, including the governments, to make hasty comments or attribute motives. Above all, trial by the media is deplorable as it vitiates the atmosphere in which cases are supposed to be heard,” he said.
APIC member and advocate Kishore Kumar said the High Court verdict on Amaravati was not the end of the dispute as the government had the liberty to file a special leave petition in the apex court, which could deal with the matter at the highest level if the situation warranted.
“Judgments could certainly be criticised, but with rationality,” he said, adding that law was dynamic and people should not jump into conclusions.
