Hyderabad High Court has been informed by the Union Law Ministry, that the Supreme Court has agreed to divide the current sanctioned strength of 49 judges between AP and Telangana High Courts in the ratio of 60:40. This was informed to the court in the form of an affidavit filed before the Hyderabad High Court, while hearing a petition filed by T. Dhangopal Rao of Hyderabad, questioning the delay in setting up two separate high courts for the two states.

“Chief justice Sengupta also told us that the options of the sitting judges will be invited, requesting them to indicate their choice of high court for rendering their service after bifurcating the common high court into two HCs,” the affidavit stated.

The Union Law Ministry had placed the responsibility of setting up a High Court for AP on the Chief Minister of AP and the Chief Justice of Hyderabad High Court and rapped the CMs for not responding to the official communications in this regard. “Unless they move first, we cannot notify the setting up of the AP HC,” it said.

Telangana Government placed three options before the Hyderabad High Court: Having two separate High Courts in the existing High Court building or providing a new building at Gachibowli for the High Court of any one state or allocating the existing High Court building to AP and locating the High Court for Telangana at Gachibowli.

Chief Secretary of AP, in the counter filed before a bench comprising of Chief Justice Sengupta and Justice Sanjay Kumar stated that they will move once the High Court is constructed in their capital region area.

By Premji