HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court has directed the authorities to remove 32.26 acres in Chantanapally village of Farooqnagar mandal, Rangareddy district, from the prohibitory register after holding that the land could no longer be treated as Waqf property.
Justice Laxminarayana Alishetty allowed a writ petition filed by Pasham Lakshman Goud and seven others concerning land in Survey Nos. 626, 638, 639 and 640.
The petitioners said the land had remained in the prohibitory register despite earlier high court orders holding that it was not Waqf property. They said the land originally formed part of a pattadar’s holdings and that protected tenancy rights had subsequently been recognised.
The land was notified as Waqf property under AP Gazette No. 36-A dated September 4, 2003. The notification was later set aside by the high court. The Waqf Board also acknowledged that it no longer had legal effect, but its CEO said he lacked statutory authority to delete the entries from the prohibitory list.
Justice Alishetty held that administrative authorities could not retain an entry contrary to a binding judicial determination. An erroneous entry, he said, could not acquire independent legal validity merely because it remained uncorrected.
The court directed the authorities to remove the lands from the prohibitory register and make consequential corrections in the relevant records within four weeks.
HC SETS ASIDE ENHANCED PENALTY ON BANK OFFICER
Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court set aside proceedings enhancing
the punishment imposed on former Sri Satavahana Grameena Bank officer Anand Pad Kumar and ordered a refund of any amount recovered from
his salary. Justice Laxminarayana Alishetty partly allowed his writ petition challenging the December 13, 2005 order proposing recovery of `10.78 lakh. The court held that the bank’s board could not enhance the penalty without establishing its authority and following due process. It directed the bank to refund any amount already recovered
