Telangana HC sets aside resolution against Gutti Koya community

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Monday set aside the Bendalapadu grama panchayat resolution against the Gutti Koya community.

It is to be noted that the resolution called for the eviction of the community following the murder of a Forest Range Officer in November. Hearing the case filed by Kavasi Hadma and two other tribal dwellers of the Bendalapadu village, Justice Lalitha Kanneganti questioned the authority of the grama panchayat, which passed the eviction order.

The petitioners stated that the sarpanch and the Panchayat secretary passed the resolution without even conducting a grama panchayat. They further stated that it was meant to send back the Gutti Koyas to Chattisgarh from where they migrated to Bedalapadu village four decades ago.

The defendant’s counsel, Ambekar argued that the eviction order violated the Panchayat Raj Act of 2018, Scheduled Tribes and other Traditional Forest Dwellers Recognition of Forest Rights Act 2006. After hearing the defendant’s counsel the court observed that there were appropriate laws to deal with crime and held the eviction illegal.