HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court has reprimanded the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Assets Protection Agency (HYDRAA) for entering land belonging to M/s Shanta Sriram Constructions Pvt Ltd despite earlier court orders protecting the company’s possession.
Hearing two contempt petitions filed by the company through its managing director M. Narasaiah, Justice Anil Kumar Jukanti held that the land in Survey Nos. 1 and 2 of Lothukunta village, Malkajgiri mandal, was private property and not government land based on the material on record.
The court noted that the state had failed to establish ownership in several proceedings, including a writ appeal, civil suit and first appeal. Despite an earlier undertaking before the high court to abide by its orders, HYDRAA officials allegedly entered the property following a complaint by an organisation called “Society to Save Rocks”.
Justice Jukanti held that HYDRAA’s actions violated the undertaking given to the court and described them as illegal, unwarranted and impermissible. The judge said HYDRAA, as a state agency, cannot act beyond its statutory powers or interfere with private property rights protected under Article 300A of the Constitution.