The Telangana High Court has successfully thwarted an attempt to encroach upon 1.20 acres of land belonging to the Sri Laxmi Venkateshwara Swamy Temple, located in a prime area of Jagathgirigutta in the heart of Hyderabad. The court determined that the records presented before it clearly established the temple's ownership over the entire property, which spans a total of 14.10 acres.
Court Order and Petition Details
Justice Anil Kumar Jukanti passed the order recently while disposing of a writ petition filed by the temple management. The petition alleged that private parties were carrying out encroachments and unauthorized constructions on the land. The petitioner informed the court that the private respondent, B Indira Goud, a businesswoman, had allegedly occupied around 1.20 acres of the land, converted it into plots, and constructed 12 rooms without obtaining the necessary permissions. Additionally, attempts were being made to create third-party rights over the land. The petitioner further complained that despite making representations to the authorities in December, no action had been taken against the encroachments or to protect the temple property.
Respondent's Claims and Court Examination
The private respondent, however, contended that the land had been allotted by the government for the construction of a temple and claimed that several other temples had also come up in the surrounding area. The court examined proceedings pertaining to the land from January 2018, pahanies (crucial records indicating land ownership and other key details) for 1994–95 and 1999–2000, and official communications from the Endowments Department and revenue authorities. It noted that a 2013 letter from the assistant commissioner of Endowments had already sought a survey to identify and protect the temple land from encroachments.
Directions Issued by the Court
The court directed the district collector to conduct a joint survey with the revenue divisional officer, assistant director of survey and land records, and endowments department officials for the demarcation of the entire 14.10 acres. It ordered that fencing be erected around the land after demarcation, while ensuring ingress and egress to temples located within the area. The court also directed the Medchal–Malkajgiri district collector to make necessary security arrangements during the survey and fencing exercise.
Ownership and Further Actions
Further, observing that mere fencing of land would not confer ownership rights on private parties, the court nevertheless held that the material on record clearly showed that the 14.10 acres stood endowed to the temple. It directed the district collector and Endowments Department to complete fencing of the entire land.
