Telangana High Court grants interim relief to Hyderabad Cricket Association

Stays previous order of single judge that restricted HCA from taking any administrative or policy decisions related to its finances

Hyderabad: The Division Bench of the Telangana High Court, comprising Acting Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Renuka Yara, on Wednesday granted interim relief to the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) by staying a previous order of a single judge that had restricted the HCA from taking any administrative or policy decisions related to its finances.

The appeal was filed by the HCA challenging the interim order dated May 21, passed by Justice CV Bhaskar Reddy, in a petition filed by the Telangana Cricket Association.

The single judge had directed the HCA to refrain from making any financial decisions except for routine daily expenses and staff salaries, in view of allegations of financial mismanagement.

The HCA, in its appeal, contended that the interim order was beyond the scope of the relief sought by the Telangana Cricket Association in the original writ petition. It was submitted that the petition merely raised concerns regarding alleged financial irregularities, but did not seek any specific prayer restraining the association from functioning administratively.

Agreeing with the submissions, the Division Bench observed that prima facie, the single judge appeared to have passed orders in excess of the actual prayer made in the writ petition.

“What was asked in the petition has no correlation with the scope of the interim order passed,” the Bench noted, while staying the impugned directions.

With this, the restrictions placed on the HCA’s financial decision-making have been temporarily lifted.

The matter has been posted for further hearing in June.