Hyderabad, Jul 24 (PTI) The Telangana High Court on Friday directed HYDRAA Commissioner A V Ranganath to file a detailed affidavit with an apology on July 27 in connection with three contempt petitions moved against him by a private company, alleging violation of court orders.
The court gave the directive while hearing the contempt petitions filed by a real estate company over the 40-acre land claimed by it in Lothukunta village near here.
The court said its order dated July 23 on the deployment of army personnel to protect the land, which was kept in abeyance for a day, shall be considered after an affidavit is filed on July 27.
In one of the contempt petitions, the company recently alleged that the officers of HYDRAA have been repeatedly trespassing its property.
Following this, the court on July 23 ordered that army personnel be posted at the site, with the directive to take the HYDRAA staff into custody and present them before it, along with their vehicles, if they try to venture into the property of the company.
“This Court is conscious of the fact that the Army cannot be called in, but this Court having lost its faith in the state government and its instrumentalities, as repeatedly non-compliance of orders is being displayed by the officers of HYDRAA along with revenue officials and police officials and other authorities by interfering in the administration of justice,” the court observed on July 23.
However, after the Chief Law Officer of the state appeared and assured the Court that an affidavit would be filed by HYDRAA Commissioner, stating that neither he nor his staff would enter the premises of the petitioner’s property and would abide by the orders of court and the assurances given to it, the court kept its order in abeyance till July 24.
A counter affidavit filed on behalf of the HYDRAA Commissioner on Friday stated that “the respondent has neither interfered nor is interfering with 40 acres of land claimed by the petitioner (company)”.
The Commissioner also denied the allegations that the agency entered the property.
Referring to the Commissioner’s submission that the present counter affidavit is being filed at short notice and that a detailed additional counter affidavit will be filed, the court said, “it is unable to fathom as to what a detailed additional counter affidavit is, when the contumacious conduct of the contemnor/respondent is apparently visible from the acts.” The court also said it is only upon the assurance of the government’s Chief Law Officer, it is showing restraint for the third time, sparing the officer from being taken into custody.
The court posted the matters on July 27 for filing the affidavit by the Commissioner.
The Telangana government established Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) in July 2024 to protect government assets, such as lakes, from encroachments and other illegal activities.
The agency has been carrying out operations to remove encroachments and demolished several alleged illegal structures. PTI VVK SJR VVK ROH
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