HC orders conditional release of granites seized in Nalgonda
Justice K Lakshman of the Telangana High Court has directed the authorities to verify the nature of granite slabs seized by the assistant director of Mines and Geology, Nalgonda, and ordered conditional release of the vehicle and goods if they are found to be finished products.
Justice Lakshman was hearing a writ petition filed by Kanumuri Sunadham of Palnadu district in Andhra Pradesh, seeking release of his lorry and the granite slabs it was transporting, which were seized by the respondent authorities citing lack of proof of royalty payment on the mineral used.
According to the petitioner, the vehicle was carrying 4,950 sqft of polished granite slabs from Bhuvanagiri Enterprises in Markapur, Andhra Pradesh, to a buyer named Mahesh in Pune, Maharashtra. The goods were supported by a tax invoice dated March 20, 2025, and a valid e-way bill.
Despite submitting the invoice and other necessary documents, including vehicle registration, permit, and insurance papers, the authorities detained the vehicle under a notice dated March 28, 2025, demanding payment of approximately Rs 1.76 lakh as penalty unless the source of procurement was disclosed.
The petitioner argued that since the goods were finished products and not raw minerals, royalty payment documents were not applicable. He contended that seizing the vehicle despite producing all required GST-compliant documents was illegal and arbitrary.
Land dispute: Petitioners told to approach Tribunal
Justice CV Bhaskar Reddy of the Telangana High Court has directed petitioners Arutla Srinivasa Charyulu and Arutla Narasimha Charya to approach the Endowments Tribunal to get their land dispute resolved, emphasising that the Tribunal should adjudicate the matter independently, without being influenced by prior observations made by the district collector or the high court in the writ petition.
A senior counsel representing the petitioners contended that despite this long-standing record, the authorities erroneously removed the petitioners’ names from the records, depriving them of benefits provided by the government.
The petitioners, claiming to be the legal heirs of late Narahara Charyulu, stated that they are the rightful pattadars (title holders) of approximately 10 acres and 31 guntas of land situated at Odela village in Peddapalli district. They argued that the land is their ancestral property and that their names, as well as their ancestors’, have consistently been recorded in the revenue records.
According to the petitioners, while their ancestors were recorded as pattadars, the names of two temples, Sri Sitaramachandra Swamy temple and Sri Anjaneya Swamy temple, were also mentioned in the revenue records, purportedly only for identification purposes. They claimed their ancestor, Narahara Charyulu, served as a pujari at both temples throughout his life and was issued a pattadar passbook.