Christian Joint Action Committee(Cjac) Vs… — Writ and Judicial Review | Andhra Pradesh HC (2026)

Christian Joint Action Committee(Cjac) Vs… — Writ and Judicial Review | Andhra Pradesh HC (2026)

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

Withdrawal of the writ petition permitted; Writ Petition No. 18440 of 2026 dismissed as withdrawn, with no order as to costs and pending miscellaneous petitions closed.

Ratio / Principle

Permission was accorded to the petitioners' counsel to withdraw the present writ petition.

Key takeaways

The Writ Petition was dismissed as withdrawn.ratio¶46
There shall be no order as to costs.ratio¶47
As a sequel to the dismissal, miscellaneous petitions, if any pending, shall also stand closed.ratio¶48

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Writ Petition No. 18440 of 2026 — Christian Joint Action Committee (CJAC) represented by its Arch Bishop Dr. Ashok Babu Chegudi Joshua Daniel and another v. State of Andhra Pradesh and others (High Court of Andhra Pradesh at Amaravati; bench of Ravi Nath Tilhari, J (author of the order) and Purushottam Kumar Chintalapudi, J; pronounced 08.07.2026). The petition, moved under Article 226 of the Constitution of India in the nature of a writ of habeas corpus, sought production of Detenu Batchalluri Joseph alias Ravan, lodged in Central Jail, Nellore, and a declaration that his alleged continuous sequential gate-arrests, a claimed high-handed highway abduction at Nakkapalli, and his judicial remand in Gannavaram P.S. FIR No. 188/2026 (stated to incorporate UAPA provisions) were illegal, together with release, ad-interim bail, medical care and protection. I.A. No. 1 of 2026 under Section 151 CPC sought preservation/production of arresting officers' CDRs, station logbooks and Nakkapalli Highway CCTV footage and a stay of coercive proceedings in connected FIRs. After arguing at some length, counsel for the petitioners (Sri Rana Sandeep Bussa, representing Sri Chikkala Rama Rao, through virtual mode) sought leave to withdraw. The Court accorded permission, dismissed the writ petition as withdrawn, made no order as to costs, and closed pending miscellaneous petitions as a sequel. Disposal is on withdrawal alone; no question of law or fact on the merits of the alleged detention, arrest or remand was considered or decided. Non-reportable value as precedent on the underlying grievances.

1

(RNT,J & PKC,J WP.NO.18440 OF 2026)

[3601]

Date of reserved for orders : Date of pronouncement : 08.07.2026 Date of uploading : 09.07.2026

APHC010342142026

IN THE HIGH COURT OF ANDHRA PRADESH AT AMARAVATI (Special Original Jurisdiction)

WEDNESDAY, THE 8^th DAY OF JULY 2026

PRESENT

THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE RAVI NATH TILHARI

THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE PURUSHOTTAM KUMAR

CHINTALAPUDI

WRIT PETITION NO: 18440/2026

Between:

CHRISTIAN JOINT ACTION COMMITTEE(CJAC), BEARING REGISTRATIONNO. 21512021, REPRESENTED BY ITS ARCH BISHOP, DR. ASHOK BABU CHEGUDI JOSHUA DANIEL, S/O LATE SEKHAR, AGED ABOUT 45 YEARS, (STUDENT OF B.A. LL.B. 3RD YEAR), HAVING ITS REGISTERED/OPERATIONAL OFFICE AT D.NO.4-27-2A, JAYANTHI PET, PERALA-523157, CHIRALA MANDAL, BAPATLA DISTRICT, ANDHRA PRADESH.

BHANU MURTHY MEKALA, S/O ISSAK, AGED ABOUT 35 YEARS, ACCREDITED JOURNALIST, RESIDENT OF IBRAHIMPATNAM, NTR DISTRICT, ANDHRA PRADESH.

...PETITIONER(S)

AND

THE STATE OF ANDHRA PRADESH, REPRESENTED BY ITS PRINCIPAL SECRETARY, DEPARTMENT OF HOME, SECRETARIAT BUILDINGS, VELAGAPUDI, AMARAVATI PIN CODE 522237.

THE DIRECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE DGP, ANDHRA PRADESH STATE POLICE HEADQUARTERS, MANGALAGIRI-522503.

2

(RNT,J & PKC,J WP.NO.18440 OF 2026)

THE SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE, ELURU DISTRICT PIN CODE - 534001.

THE SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE, KAKINADA DISTRICT PIN CODE -533001.

THE SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE, NTR 1 KRISHNA DISTRICT PIN CODE -521001.

THE STATION HOUSE OFFICER, PITHAPURAM TOWN POLICE STATION PIN CODE-533450.

THE STATION HOUSE OFFICER, SARPAVARAM POLICE STATION PIN CODE -533005.

THE STATION HOUSE OFFICER, MACHILIPATNAM POLICE STATION PIN CODE 521001.

THE STATION HOUSE OFFICER, PAYAKARAOPETA POLICE STATION PIN CODE -531126

...RESPONDENT(S):

Petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India praying that in the circumstances stated in the affidavit filed therewith, the High Court may be pleased topleased to issue a Writ of Habeas Corpus or any other appropriate Writ, Order, or Direction, directing the Respondents to produce the body of the Detenu, Batchalluri Joseph alias Ravan, S/o Chinna Daniel, aged 39 years, currently lodged in Central Jail, Nellore, before this Honorable Court, and to declare his continuous, sequential gate-arrests the high-handed highway abduction at Nakkapalli, and the subsequent mechanical judicial remand under Gannavaram P.S. FIR No. 188/2026 (incorporating extreme UAPA provisions) as ex-facie illegal, unconstitutional, and void ab in/ti, and consequently set the Detenu at C. liberty forthwith, while granting ad-interim bail and providing immediate expert medical care and comprehensive life protection to the Detenu and his legal defense team during the pendency of this Writ Petition, in the interest of justice

IA NO: 1 OF 2026

Petition under Section 151 CPC praying that in the circumstances stated in the affidavit filed in support of the petition, the High Court may be pleased pleased to direct the Respondents to preserve and produce the Call Data

3

(RNT,J & PKC,J WP.NO.18440 OF 2026)

Records (CDRs) of the arresting officers, Station Logbooks, and Nakkapalli Highway CCTV footprints, and to stay all further coercive proceedings in connected retaliatory FIRs across the State of Andhra Pradesh, pending disposal of the main Writ Petition. Pass

Counsel for the Petitioner(S):

1.CHIKKALA RAMA RAO

Counsel for the Respondent(S):

1.THE ADVOCATE GENERAL

The Court made the following:

4

(RNT,J & PKC,J WP.NO.18440 OF 2026)

ORDER :- (per Hon’ble Sri Justice Ravi Nath Tilhari)

After arguing at some length, Sri Rana Sandeep Bussa, learned counsel representing Sri Chikkala Rma Rao, learned counsel for the petitioners appearing through virtual mode, seeks permission of this Court to withdraw the present writ petition.

Permission is accorded.

The Writ Petition is dismissed as withdrawn.

No order as to costs.

As a sequel thereto, miscellaneous petitions, if any pending, shall

also stand closed.

____________________ RAVI NATH TILHARI, J

_____________________________________ PURUSHOTTAM KUMAR CHINTALAPUDI, J

Date : 08.07.2026. RPD.

Whether the order is :

Speaking	✔ Yes/ No	Reasoned	✔ Yes/ No
Reportable	✔ Yes/ No	Non-Reportable	✔ Yes/ No

5

(RNT,J & PKC,J WP.NO.18440 OF 2026)

THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE RAVI NATH TILHARI AND

THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE PURUSHOTTAM KUMAR CHINTALAPUDI

(DISMISSED AS WITHDRAWN)

WRIT PETITION NO: 18440 of 2026

Date: 08.07.2026

RPD.