source:  The Hindu, February 25, 2005

By Our Legal Correspondent

HYDERABAD, FEB. 24. A Division Bench of the High Court directed that status quo be maintained regarding the lay out of Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority in the old jail area.

These interim orders were passed by a Division Bench comprising the Chief Justice, Devinder Gupta, and Justice Gulam Mohammed in a public interest petition filed by K.C. Lakshmi.

The petitioner complained that the Government had taken over the lands belonging to Simhachalam temple to construct new open jail on the outskirts of Visakhapatnam. When it came to light that the temple has to be paid money, the Government indicated that the old jail area in the heart of the city should be handed over to the Devasthanams or the money raised by auctioning the land of the old jail be paid to Devasthanams. The petitioner said that VUDA is proposing to set up food courts, shopping malls and was not keen to pay the money to Devasthanams.