Hyderabad: Telangana high court has set aside an order passed by the State Information Commission, citing blatant violation of natural justice. Justice Surepally Nanda passed the order recently while disposing of a writ petition filed by a daily wage labourer, Boddupalli Shankaraiah, who challenged the commission’s decision to close his complaint without giving him a fair hearing.Allowing the writ petition, the court dismissed the commission’s order and referred the matter back to the commission with a direction to reconsider the complaint afresh in accordance with the law. The commission has also been directed to provide the petitioner a reasonable opportunity of hearing with a timely notice. It all began in 2022 when Shankaraiah, 51, sought information regarding his 2008 proposal for a compassionate appointment in the electricity department in Karimnagar district.After failing to receive a response to his representation to the authorities concerned, he approached the information commission. However, his complaint was closed in Aug 2025, on the grounds that the information had been furnished.Shankaraiah’s primary grievance was that the commission “heard him behind his back.” While the commission issued a notice on Aug 19, 2025, asking him to appear for hearing on Aug 29, the petitioner received it on Sept 3, — five days after the hearing had already concluded.Taking note of this lapse, the court noted that the right to fair hearing is not a mere formality but a constitutional safeguard under Article 19(1)(a). Citing Supreme Court precedents regarding the principles of natural justice, the court observed that passing an adverse order without ensuring the petitioner had a reasonable opportunity to appear renders the administrative action “arbitrary and illegal.”
