Hyderabad: Justice K Lakshman of the Telangana High Court has set aside the Ranga Reddy district revenue officials’ decision to permit land registrations on a portion of a 52-acre tract in Survey No. 63, located in Guttala Begumpet village, Serilingampally mandal.
The court ruled that the district’s action to de-notify the land from the list of prohibited properties under Section 22A of the Stamps and Registration Act was not legally justified.
This ruling has reignited concerns regarding government oversight of valuable public lands, particularly those previously designated as “kancha sarkari” (government land) since the 1950s. In a prior ruling in 2018, the Telangana High Court mandated that any alterations to the property’s designation must undergo judicial scrutiny.
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Justice Lakshman scrutinized the rationale behind the then Ranga Reddy district collector Amoy Kumar’s August 2022 decision to de-notify 52 acres within Survey No. 63/2, which allowed for certain registrations while leaving 24 acres still restricted under Section 22A.
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Amoy Kumar was recently interrogated by the Enforcement Directorate regarding his alleged involvement in land transactions and financial benefits gained during his tenure as collector of Rangareddy and Medchal districts under the previous BRS government.
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He was also questioned about the Guttala Begumpet land case.
Justice Lakshman expressed apprehension over how the government classified this land as non-governmental, highlighting that the administration had effectively relinquished its claim without obtaining court approval.
The case was initiated by Bukthyar Khan, Nusrat Yar Khan, and other claimants who asserted their rights as Inamdars, with ownership confirmed through Occupancy Rights Certificates (ORCs).
They petitioned the high court to prevent any private registrations until their legal claims were resolved, arguing that the district’s actions jeopardized their rightful ownership.
They requested the high court to halt any private registrations until their legal claim to the land was clarified, arguing that the district’s actions undermined their rightful ownership.
In response, the court temporarily suspended registrations and ultimately annulled the district collector’s orders.
Justice Lakshman noted that the land, situated near Hyderabad’s Hi-Tech City, possesses significant value, estimated in the thousands of crores.
