IN THE HIGH COURT OF ANDHRA PRADESH : AMARAVATI ****

WRIT PETITION No. 39839 OF 2012 Between:

SMT.PENUMUCHU SEETHAMMA, W/O LATE MADHUSUDHANA RAO AGED ABOUT 55 YEARS, RESIDENT OF MOGULURU VILLAGE, KANCHIKACHARLA MANDAL, KRISHNA DISTRICT AND 3 OTHERS …. Petitioners AND A P SOUTHERN POWER DISTRIBUTION COMPANY LIMITED, (APSPDCL) REP BY ITS CHAIRMAN AND MANAGING DIRECTOR, TIRUPATHI, CHITTOOR DISTRICT AND 3 OTHERS.

…. Respondents DATE OF JUDGMENT PRONOUNCED: 27.04.2026 SUBMITTED FOR APPROVAL:

THE HON’BLE SRI JUSTICE GANNAMANENI RAMAKRISHNA PRASAD

1. Whether Reporters of Local Newspapers may be allowed to see the judgment? Yes / No

2. Whether the copies of judgment may be marked to Law Reporters / Journals? Yes / No

3. Whether His Lordship wish to see the fair copy of the Judgment? Yes / No ______________________________________ GANNAMANENI RAMAKRISHNA PRASAD, J * THE HON’BLE SRI JUSTICE GANNAMANENI RAMAKRISHNA PRASAD + WRIT PETITION No.39839 of 2012 % 27.04.2025 Between:

SMT.PENUMUCHU SEETHAMMA, W/O LATE MADHUSUDHANA RAO AGED ABOUT 55 YEARS, RESIDENT OF MOGULURU VILLAGE, KANCHIKACHARLA MANDAL, KRISHNA DISTRICT AND 3 OTHERS …. Petitioners AND A P SOUTHERN POWER DISTRIBUTION COMPANY LIMITED, (APSPDCL) REP BY ITS CHAIRMAN AND MANAGING DIRECTOR, TIRUPATHI, CHITTOOR DISTRICT AND 3 OTHERS.

…. Respondents ! Counsel for Petitioner : Sri P. Prabhakar Rao ^ Counsel for Respondents : Sri S. Abdul Matheen, learned Counsel appearing on behalf of Sri V.V. Satish, learned Standing Counsel for APSPDCL Gist:

> Head Note:

? Cases referred:

i. 2012 (4) ALT 723 ii. (2002) 2 SCC 162 iii. (2000) 2 SCC 465 iv. (2015) 7 SCC 252 v. (2022) 1 SCC 198 vi. (2001) 8 SCC 151 vii. 2005 SCC OnLine Ori 74 viii. 2008 SCC OnLine P&H 1035 ix. 2009 SCC OnLine Mad 1622 x. 2012 SCC OnLine Mad 913 xi. 2022 SCC OnLine Cal 505 xii. 2024 SCC OnLine Chh 607 xiii. 2025 SCC OnLine SC 497 xiv. (2018) 1 SCC 746 xv. (2003) 2 SCC 274 xvi. (2019) 2 SCC 192 xvii. (2020) 4 SCC 413 xviii. (2024) 8 SCC 239 xix. (2017) 16 SCC 680 xx. 2025 SCC OnLine SC 2967 xxi. (2018) 18 SCC 130 xxii. (2021) 11 SCC 780 xxiii. 2022 SCC OnLine SC 1699 xxiv. 2023 SCC OnLine SC 1855 Judgment reserved on 18.11.2025 Judgment pronounced on 27.04.2026 Judgment uploaded on 27.04.2026 APHC010332572012 IN THE HIGH COURT OF ANDHRA PRADESH AT AMARAVATI [3328]

(Special Original Jurisdiction)

MONDAY, THE TWENTY SEVENTH DAY OF APRIL TWO THOUSAND AND TWENTY SIX PRESENT THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE GANNAMANENI RAMAKRISHNA PRASAD WRIT PETITION NO: 39839 OF 2012 Between:

1. S MT.PENUMUCHU SEETHAMMA, W/O LATE MADHUSUDHANA RAO AGED ABOUT 55 YEARS, RESIDENT OF MOGULURU VILLAGE, KANCHIKACHARLA MANDAL, KRISHNA DISTRICT.

2. S MT.CHUKKAPALLI SESHU KUMARI, W/O KONDALA RAO, AGED ABOUT 35 YEARS, RESIDENT OF MOGULURU VILLAGE, KANCHIKACHARLA MANDAL, KRISHNA DISTRICT.

3. S MT VELAGA CHAMUNDESWARI, W/O RAMA MOHANA RAO, AGED ABOUT 30 YEARS, RESIDENT OF MOGULURU VILLAGE, KANCHIKACHARLA MANDAL, KRISHNA DISTRICT.

4. S MT MULAKALAPALLI LAKSHMI, W/O MULAKALAPALLI SUBBA RAO AGED ABOUT 25 YEARS, RESIDENT OF MOGULURU VILLAGE, KANCHIKACHARLA MANDAL, KRISHNA DISTRICT.

...PETITIONER(S)

AND

1. A P SOUTHERN POWER DISTRIBUTION COMPANY LIMITED, (APSPDCL) REP BY ITS CHAIRMAN AND MANAGING DIRECTOR, TIRUPATHI, CHITTOOR DISTRICT.

2. T HE SUPERINTENDING ENGINEER OPERATION CIRCLE, A.P.SOUTHERN POWER DISTRIBUTION COMPANY LIMITED, (APSPDCL), VIJAYAWADA, KRISHNA DISTRICT.

3. T HE ASSISTANT ENGINEER OPERATION, A.P.SOUTHERN POWER DISTRIBUTION COMPANY LIMITED, (APSPDCL), KANCHIKACHARLA, KRISHNA DISTRICT.

4. T HE STATION HOUSE OFFICER, KANCHIKACHARLA POLICE STATION, KRISHNA DISTRICT.

...RESPONDENT(S):

Counsel for the Petitioner(S):

1. P PRABHAKAR RAO Counsel for the Respondent(S):

1. GP FOR HOME

2. V V SATISH (SC for APEPDCL)

3. P VINOD KUMAR The Court made the following ORDER:

Heard Sri P. Prabhakar Rao, learned Counsel for the Writ Petitioners and Sri S. Abdul Matheen, learned Counsel appearing on behalf of Sri V.V.

Satish, learned Standing Counsel for APCPDCL.

2. The present Writ Petition is fil