Allowing an appeal challenging a single judge order in favour of a deceased person, the Telangana High Court imposed costs of ₹25,000 on School Education department for moving the appeal petition with a delay of 250 days.
A bench of the Acting Chief Justice P. Sam Koshy and Justice Narsing Rao Nandikonda, stating that it was ‘reluctantly’ allowing the appeal, ordered that the costs be deposited with the State Legal Services Authority within two weeks. The bench instructed the Principal Secretary for Education to ascertain which officer of the department was responsible for the delay in filing the appeal, which resulted in imposing costs.
“If necessary, the costs shall be recovered from the erring official,” the bench said in its order. Fifty-two-year-old K. Girish filed a writ petition in year 2016 seeking a direction to absorb him as grant-in-aid teacher as per the proposal sent by Vivek Vardhini Education Society. The proposal was sent in 2003. Two years later, the School Education department issued proceedings declining the proposal.
Even as the plea was pending adjudication, the petitioner passed away. On September 23 last year, the single judge pronounced a verdict instructing the Hyderabad District School Education Officer to issue proceedings declaring absorption of the deceased person against grant-in-aid vacancies and extend all consequential benefits of absorption.
The division bench noted that “we are prima facie of the considered opinion that a strong case has been made out for granting relief” since the petitioner passed away even before the final order was passed by the single judge. The bench stayed operation of the single judge order.
Published – October 10, 2026 12:10 am IST
