Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Tuesday, August 11, gave the state government a final opportunity to explain its stand on the regularisation of prime government land in Banjara Hills in favour of the son and daughter of senior Congress leader Dr Kesava Rao at rates allegedly far below market value.
A division bench of Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice GM Mohiuddin directed the government to file an affidavit within three weeks detailing steps taken since its earlier order of December 10, 2025, including whether the regularisation orders have been cancelled or amended. The matter was posted for further hearing on September 3.
The case concerns a Government Order dated May 23, 2023, under which 1,161 square yards in NBT Nagar, Road No. 12, Banjara Hills, were regularised in favour of K Venkateswara Rao, Kesava Rao’s son, at Rs 2,500 per square yard. A separate 425 square yards in the same locality were regularised in favour of Gadwal Vijayalakshmi, Kesava Rao’s daughter and former Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) Mayor, at Rs 350 per square yard.
The Public Interest Litigation was filed by Gadeela Raghuveer Reddy, who contended that the rates were far below prevailing market value and that the regularisation violated the state’s land policy as well as Article 14 of the Constitution, since similarly placed applicants were required to pay significantly higher amounts.
During the December 2025 hearing, the court had questioned the justification for regularising the land at what it called nominal rates, and had indicated that if the government intended to proceed, the order would need to reflect current market value.
At Tuesday’s hearing, Additional Advocate General Mohammed Imran Khan sought four more weeks to place the government’s stand on record. The bench expressed displeasure at the delay, asking what action had been taken in the eight months since its earlier direction, and made clear that the three weeks now granted would be the government’s last opportunity before the case resumes.
