HYDERABAD: Bringing an end to a three-decade-old dispute over ownership of ‘assigned’ land, the Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld the Telangana High Court judgement that made it clear that the 142.39 acres of land allotted to Greyhounds in Manchirevula in Gandipet mandal of Rangareddy district belongs to the State government. The estimated market value of the land is around Rs 5,000 crore, at Rs 35 crore per acre.
As per village revenue records, 393 acres of land in Survey Nos. 391/1 to 20 was available in Manchirevula village. Of this, 142.39 acres were assigned to 20 persons by the then-tahsildar on October 21, 1961. The State government’s argument in court was “It appears that the then tahsildar, with malafide intention, assigned the land without mentioning any land assignment condition. Hence it is a fraud”.
Tahsildar didn’t follow GO, government had contended
According to a GO 1122 issued in 1961, no vacant land in the Greater Hyderabad region or within a belt of 10 miles around the city should be assigned or otherwise disposed of until the government assesses the requirements of various departments for building accommodation in the city. The Manchirevula village falls within a 10-mile radius of Hyderabad. As the tahsildar did not follow the conditions of the GO, his decision to assign the land is a fraud, the government contended.
However, the then-district revenue officer also observed that the assignment was a violation, as the land was unfit for cultivation. However, the DRO finally held that the issuance of assignment pattas by the tahsildar did not hold good.
With this, the alleged assignees moved court, starting a three-decade-long legal battle. Meanwhile, in 1995, the Rangareddy district Collector took up the matter suo-motu and suspended the orders of the tahsildar and set aside the orders of the DRO in 1996.
Aggrieved by this, the alleged assignees filed a writ petition before High Court in 2002 solely on the ground that though the Supreme Court directed the district Collector to pass orders, it was the joint collector who did so.
The HC directed the officials to pass orders as per the directions of the apex court. Later, the district collector observed that the assignees have entered into a GPA with several others and ordered the resumption of the lands. The alleged assignees again started a second round of litigation.
One of the assignees, M Narasimha and others filed a writ petition in High Court in 2003. Later, the Rangareddy district collector allotted the 142.39 acres of land to Greyhounds and gave advance possession.In 2021, the HC upheld the resumption orders in favour of the State government. Aggrieved by the HC, Yadaiah and others filed an SLP in the Supreme Court in 2002.
While pronouncing the judgment, Justice Surya Kant and Justice Dipankar Datta on Tuesday clearly held that the land to an extent of 142.39 acres in Manchirevula village is vested with the Greyhounds/government and cannot be alienable. The apex court further stated that in future court/authority does not have the right to take any case /writ against the subject land.
Senior counsels KK Venugopal, CS Vaidyanathan and others argued on behalf of the State government. Gandipet tahsildar A Rajasekhar and former RDO Rajendranagar K Chandrakala and senior officials of Greyhounds made several efforts to win the case in favour of the government.