HYDERABAD: Justice Nagesh Bheemapaka of the Telangana High Court on Tuesday suo motu impleaded the Bhadradri-Kothagudem district collector in a case on the allegations of forgery and illegal transactions related to more than 14 acres of agricultural land.
The judge was hearing an Interlocutory Application (IA) in a plea filed by the late Karri Koteswara Rao and pursued by his legal heirs and pending since 2013.
The petitioners raised concerns about the creation of false documents, including the forgery of official signatures, and the utilisation of fabricated stamp papers with ante-dated entries. The authenticity of a sale deed dated March 29, 1973, is under scrutiny, with the petitioners stating that the stamp on it was manufactured in 1980, featuring the slogan “Satyamev Jayate”. The slogan was incorporated by the Government of India after the specified year.
Impleading the district collector in the case, Justice Bheemapaka ordered a comprehensive investigation into the matter. He issued specific directives, including a spot inspection of the subject premises.
The district collector was tasked with documenting unauthorised constructions, illegal transactions, ongoing construction projects without proper permissions, and identifying vacant lands in the area. The judge stressed the necessity for a detailed report identifying officers responsible for any illegal acts, with a strict three-week timeline for submission.
Additional advocate general T Rajanikanth Reddy assured the court of the district collector’s complete cooperation. Stating that the court aims to raise awareness regarding alleged illegal acts committed by unofficial respondents to prevent further questionable transactions, the judge adjourned the matter to February 7 to allow time for the collector to submit his report.