Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court has made history by delivering its first verdict in the Telugu language. This landmark decision follows the direction of the Supreme Court, which urged state high courts to translate important judgments into regional languages and make them available online. A division bench consisting of Justices P Naveen Rao and Nagesh Bheemapaka rendered the Telugu verdict in a land dispute case between two brothers in Secunderabad.
This significant development marks the first-ever Telugu decision in the history of the Telangana High Court. Previously, in February, the Kerala High Court had delivered a verdict in Malayalam. The bench, comprising Justices P Naveen Rao and Nagesh Bheemapaka, issued the order in both Telugu and English, clarifying that any discrepancies found in the Telugu version should be cross-referenced with the English language judgment.
The court stated that the decision was being delivered in Telugu for the convenience of the parties involved. It further mentioned that some English words were used in the Telugu verdict to ensure ease of understanding for the general public.
The dispute in question pertained to a 14-acre land in the Machabollaram area of Secunderabad, registered under the name of the brothers’ late mother. The land remained undivided during her lifetime, leading to a conflict between K Chandra Reddy and K. Mutyam Reddy. Chandra Reddy claimed a will on behalf of their mother, which was challenged by Mutyam Reddy in court. The lower court had rejected Chandra Reddy’s claim, prompting him to file an appeal in the high court.
The Telugu verdict delivered by the high court has garnered appreciation from various quarters. Lawyers from Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, and Chhattisgarh had previously sought permission to introduce regional languages in high courts, but the Supreme Court dismissed their requests. It is expected that this historic decision by the Telangana High Court will pave the way for more judgments to be delivered in the Telugu language in the future.
