K N CHANDRASEKHAR Vs. DIVISIONAL MANAGER

JUDGEMENT

(1.) These two writ petitions raise common questions and, therefore, can be disposed of by a common order.

(2.) Writ Petition No. 13871 of 1993 has been filed by two individuals seeking a declaration that the action of the respondents 2 and 3 in obtaining forcibly the letter of undertaking dated 13-9-1993 from the petitioners as illegal.

(3.) The petitioners stated that each of them purchased a dish antenna on the same day from the same vendor under Bill Nos.34 and 35 and installed the same on 7-9-1993 on House No.319, Balajinagar, Tirumala and House No.144, R.B.Centre, Tirumala respectively. They have also purchased the necessary cables to give dish antenna connections to the citizens of Tirumala who are owning Television sets so as to enable them to view the programmes which consist of Star T.V. Programmes also. Among others, they will have the benefit of viewing programmes such as B.B.C., Zee T.V., M.T.V., Star Plus, Prime Sports etc. It is also stated in the affidavit that there are about 150 T.V. viewers whose T.V. sets were connected to dish antennas. While so, the 2nd respondent with the help of 3rd respondent visited the premises on 13-9-1993 to dismantle the dish antennas and cut cable wires and throw them into the streets without any authority of law and the Joint Executive Officer, Sri Venkat Ramaiah, obtained by force, a letter of undertaking from the 2nd petitioner and one M. Rajendra to the effect that they will remove the dish antennas and that the same have been erected without permission from the Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanam. Questioning the said action this writ petition has been filed on 16-9-1993 for the reliefs mentioned above.