Accreditation cards: High Court extends old cards’ validity till September 15

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court directed the state government to extend the validity of old accreditation cards until September 15. The order provides relief to eligible journalists awaiting new accreditation cards.

The court clarified that the extension applies to journalists who already held accreditation cards. It also made clear that first-time applicants will not receive similar interim relief.

Journalists who did not hold accreditation cards earlier also cannot claim the extension under the order. The bench adjourned the next hearing to September 15.

The order addresses the concerns of eligible journalists waiting for the state’s new accreditation process. Meanwhile, the court maintained separate treatment for fresh applicants and those without previous cards.

Accreditation cards validity order comes with eligibility conditions

The High Court also dealt with a separate matter involving a criminal case and an intra-court appeal. The bench dismissed a Letters Patent Appeal challenging a single judge’s refusal to quash an FIR.

The FIR arose from a private land dispute. The bench held that a petition seeking to quash an FIR falls within criminal jurisdiction.

Therefore, the court said a Letters Patent Appeal cannot be maintained in such a criminal matter. It also clarified that courts must consider the relief sought and its outcome rather than merely the petition’s title.

The bench did not express an opinion on other legal remedies available to the petitioner. The separate ruling concerned the criminal proceedings and was unrelated to the accreditation card order.