Latest news with #BhoodanBoard
The Hindu
30-04-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
HC declines to interfere with single judge order over IPS officers, others' appeals in Bhoodan land case
The Telangana High Court on Wednesday declined to interfere with a single judge order instructing State government to keep Bhoodan lands in Nagaram village of Maheshwaram mandal in Rangareddy district in prohibited list. A bench of Acting Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Renuka Yara, after hearing four writ appeals filed by 10 persons (who are among the 76 respondents in a writ petition over Bhoodan lands), suggested to the appellants to file applications before the single judge for vacation of the order. Despite repeated appeals by senior counsels Desai Prakash Reddy and S. Niranjan Reddy, appearing for the 10 appellants, to set aside the single judge order, the bench led by the CJ suggested to them to go back to the single judge bench for securing relief. The four appeals were filed by IPS officers Ravi Gupta, Mahesh Muralidhar Bhagwat, Sowmya Mishra, Swati Lakra, Tarun Joshi, B.K. Rahul Hegde, Rekha Shroff (wife of IPS officer Umesh Shroff), Renu Goyal (wife of IPS officer Jitender Kumar Goyal) B. Rahul Reddy (son of B. Janardhan Reddy) and Veerannagari Gowtham Reddy. They were among the 76 respondents in a writ petition filed by one Birla Mallesh alleging that lands under survey numbers of 181, 182, 194 and 195 in Nagaram village of Maheshwaram mandal in Rangareddy belonged to Bhoodan Board. The petitioner sought a direction for an inquiry into the alleged benami transactions of sale and purchase of these Bhoodan lands by collusion of some persons with top officials in revenue, registration and other departments. The single judge passed an interim order instructing the government to keep the lands under prohibited list, observing that prima facie the said lands appeared to be belonging to Bhoodan Board. The appellants' counsels contended that the 'impugned order' was passed beyond the relief sought by the petitioner. Moreover, the order was passed without issuing notices to the appellants and in their absence. They claimed that the lands purchased by their clients were patta lands and did not belong to Bhoodan Board. With the Acting Chief Justice declining to interfere with the single judge order, one of the counsels of the appellants, citing a Supreme Court verdict, said the HC can set aside even an ex-parte order if it had the ingredients of a judgement or qualified to be an order. The division bench said the ex-parte order of the single judge did not fall in the ambit of final judgement and the appellants had the option of venting their grievance before the single judge explaining their grounds. Senior counsel Niranjan Reddy appealed to the bench to expunge the serious remarks made by the single judge towards the end of the order if the order cannot be set aside as they sent wrong signals. However, the bench did not agree to expunge any paragraphs of the single judge order and said the request cannot be entertained.
The Hindu
25-04-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Telangana HC issues notices to 76 respondents, including IPS, IAS officers, in Bhoodan land transactions plea
Justice C.V. Bhaskar Reddy of the Telangana High Court on Thursday (April 24, 2025) issued notices to 76 respondents, including some IAS and IPS officers, in a writ petition seeking an inquiry into alleged illegal grabbing of Bhoodan lands in Nagaram village of Maheshwaram mandal in Ranga Reddy district. After hearing contentions of petitioner Birla Mallesh's counsel L. Ravichander, the judge observed that prima facie the lands under survey numbers 181, 182, 194, and 195 of Nagaram village appear to be vested with the Bhoodan Board as per Section 14 of Bhoodan Act. In the backdrop of serious allegations made against the persons in high positions, the judge directed the Ranga Reddy district collector and sub-registrars of Maheshwaram and L.B. Nagar to forthwith include the said lands in the list of prohibited properties. 'The respondents are further directed not to change, alter, or alienate the said lands in any manner until further orders,' the judge ordered. Justice Bhaskar Reddy also said that the petitioner should not be permitted to withdraw the writ petition in view of the 'serious allegations made against the senior public officials and as public interest is involved'. Top officials who were among the respondents to receive notices in the case are Navin Mittal IAS, D. Amoy Kumar IAS, S. Harish IAS, Ravi Gupta IPS, Mahesh Muralidhar Bhagwat IPS, T. Srinivas Rao IPS, Sowmya Mishra IPS, Swati Lakra IPS and Tarun Joshi IPS. Names of spouses of some top officials also figured in the list of respondents. The judge observed that as per Bhoodan Act, the Bhoodan Board may allot such lands to landless persons willing and able to cultivate the land. The same can be allowed to the government or local bodies for community purposes or housing for poor and weaker sections. Those who get the land allotted can acquire rights that are prescribed under rule 9 of Bhoodan Rules. These land allotments are heritable but cannot be alienated, the judge said in the interim direction. The petitioner alleged that the respondents, by abusing their official positions and in collusion with Revenue officials, have managed to get their names mutated in the revenue records and have obtained pattadar passbooks. The petitioner sought protection under the Whistle Blowers Protection Act-2014. The matter was posted to June 12 for next hearing.
