Telangana High Court has issued notices to IAS, IPS officers over alleged encroachment of Bhoodan Lands.
The dispute concerns lands registered under survey numbers 181, 182, 194, and 195, which, according to petitioner Birla Mallesh, are legally vested with the Bhoodan Board under Section 14 of the Bhoodan Act.
Hyderabad: In a significant development, Justice C.V. Bhaskar Reddy of the Telangana High Court has issued notices to 76 respondents — including several senior IAS and IPS officers — over allegations of illegal occupation of Bhoodan lands in Nagaram village, Maheshwaram mandal, Ranga Reddy district.
The writ petition, filed by Birla Mallesh, accuses high-ranking officials and revenue department personnel of conspiring to grab lands meant for distribution to the landless under the Bhoodan Act.
The disputed properties, identified under survey numbers 181, 182, 194, and 195, are said to belong to the Bhoodan Board. After considering submissions by the petitioner’s counsel, L. Ravichander, Justice Reddy directed the Ranga Reddy district collector and the sub-registrars of Maheshwaram and L.B. Nagar to immediately classify the concerned lands as “prohibited properties” to prevent any further sale or transaction.
The Court further ordered that no changes, alienation, or transfers of the land be carried out until further notice, underscoring the matter’s importance to public interest. Citing the seriousness of the accusations against senior public officials, Justice Reddy also ruled that the writ petition cannot be withdrawn by the petitioner.
Among those named are senior IAS officers such as Navin Mittal, D. Amoy Kumar, and S. Harish, alongside IPS officers including Ravi Gupta, Mahesh Muralidhar Bhagwat, T. Srinivas Rao, Sowmya Mishra, Swati Lakra, and Tarun Joshi. Spouses of some top officials have also been named as respondents.
The petition alleges that the officials misused their authority to manipulate revenue records and obtain pattadar passbooks for lands intended for landless citizens or public use, in violation of the Bhoodan Act. Birla Mallesh has also sought protection under the Whistle Blowers Protection Act, 2014.
The next hearing has been scheduled for June 12, 2025.
