Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court has upheld the eviction notice issued by the Endowments department for clearing 3,500 square yards of land worth crores of rupees belonging to the Murali Manohar Swamy Temple in Kishanbagh, Hyderabad.
The notice was originally issued by the temple’s Executive Officer in February 2021, directing the occupant to vacate the premises.
The eviction notice was challenged by Brij Gopal Heda, who filed a petition in the High Court. Justice Nagesh Bheemapaka presided over the case and heard arguments from both sides.
Representing the petitioner, his lawyer argued that the petitioner’s father had rented the property in 1980. After his father’s death in 2020, the petitioner continued to operate his business on the premises and even proposed extending it by 20 feet.
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However, when no response was received from the Endowments department, they issued an eviction notice.
On behalf of the Endowments Department, their lawyer, Manglilal Nayak, contended that a previous notice had already been issued regarding this matter.
The petitioner had approached the High Court earlier, seeking an extension of the lease. Following court directions, the Assistant Commissioner of the Endowments Department reviewed and rejected the petitioner’s request for lease renewal.
Nayak argued that filing another petition against the eviction notice was not permissible.
After hearing both sides, Justice Bheemapaka dismissed the petition, stating that under the Endowments Act, individuals cannot claim rights or shares over temple lands.
The court also criticized the Endowments Department for failing to take timely action to evict the occupant despite there being no lease extension.
