Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court has ordered a Crime Branch-Criminal Investigation Department (CBCID) enquiry into the alleged encroachment of over 74 acres of government land notified as Jilavarkhan Cheruvu, a water body in Injapur village of Ranga Reddy district, after concluding that revenue officials had actively enabled the land grab.
Justice Nagesh Bheemapaka, disposing of a writ petition filed by Chandra Mohan Reddy Somi Reddy, said the state machinery appeared to be aiding encroachers at the cost of the public exchequer, and that the court could not remain a silent witness while respondents attempted to keep it in the dark, reported LiveLaw.
The judge directed the Principal Secretary, Revenue Department, to act against officials who failed to prevent the encroachments, and asked the Director General of Police to hand the enquiry to the CBCID, noting the CBI’s limited capacity to take it up.
The petitioner had alleged illegal occupation and sale of land in Survey No. 126, along with tampering of layout records, deletion of Gram Panchayat plans, removal of park designations and manipulation of revenue documents, allegedly with the backing of officials and local political leaders.
The Ranga Reddy Collector’s counter affidavit confirmed that the 74.16-acre plot is “Sarkari” land recorded as a notified lake, yet found it occupied by HUDA structures, government housing, roads, temples, graveyards, godowns and residential buildings, without disclosing any legal basis for the occupation. The court noted that authorities instead focused on accusing the petitioner of a minor encroachment, calling this an attempt to deflect from the larger unauthorised occupation.
Officials failed to file counter affidavits for months, doing so only after the court threatened to summon the Principal Secretary. The CBCID has been asked to submit its findings on the role of officials and private individuals involved.
