Telangana High Court Rejects BRS Leaders' Petition in Jeedimetla Land Dispute
In a significant legal development, the Telangana High Court has dismissed a petition filed by prominent BRS leaders seeking to prevent a survey of disputed land in the Jeedimetla area of Hyderabad. The court's decision paves the way for the Revenue Department to proceed with boundary demarcation of the contested property.
Details of the Land Conflict
The legal battle centers around 6,243 square yards of land located in the Medchal-Malkajgiri district. The petitioners included BRS MLA and former minister Ch Malla Reddy, his son Mahender Reddy, and his son-in-law Marri Rajashekar Reddy, who is also a BRS MLA. They approached the court seeking to halt a revenue department survey that had been ordered by a single-judge bench to clearly define the property boundaries.
Opposing Claims and Allegations
The BRS leaders maintained that they had legally purchased the land from M/s Dulichand Silk Mills, establishing their rightful ownership through proper documentation and transactions. However, their opponent in this dispute, Seri Srinivas Reddy, a software professional, presented a conflicting claim to 0.33 guntas within the same survey number.
Srinivas Reddy alleged that the MLAs utilized political influence and muscle power to prevent his access to the property. His legal counsel further argued that the BRS leaders had constructed commercial complexes along the roadside specifically to wall off the remaining land, effectively blocking Srinivas Reddy's entry to his claimed portion.
Conversely, the MLAs and their family members countered these allegations, claiming that it was actually Srinivas Reddy who had obstructed their access to the property. This created a complex situation where both parties accused each other of preventing rightful access to the disputed land.
Court Proceedings and Final Judgment
The Division Bench, comprising Justice Moushumi Bhattacharya and Justice Gadi Praveen Kumar, carefully heard arguments from both sides during the proceedings. After thorough consideration of the competing claims and legal submissions, the bench refused to interfere with the earlier order that had directed a survey of the disputed land.
The court's dismissal of the petitions represents a crucial development in this long-standing property dispute. By allowing the survey to proceed, the judiciary has emphasized the importance of establishing clear boundaries through official demarcation processes rather than allowing conflicting claims to remain unresolved.
Implications and Next Steps
With the High Court's decision, the Revenue Department now has the judicial clearance to conduct a comprehensive survey of the Jeedimetla property. This survey will serve several important purposes:
- Establishing precise boundary lines for the 6,243 square yards of land
- Determining the exact location and extent of the 0.33 guntas claimed by Srinivas Reddy
- Creating official documentation that can serve as evidence in any future legal proceedings
- Potentially resolving the access issues that both parties have raised against each other
The court's refusal to intervene in the survey order underscores the judiciary's commitment to allowing administrative processes to proceed when they serve the purpose of establishing facts and resolving disputes through proper channels. This approach ensures that property conflicts are addressed through systematic verification rather than remaining mired in contradictory claims without resolution.
This case highlights the complex nature of land disputes in rapidly developing urban areas like Hyderabad, where property values have increased significantly, making clear ownership documentation and boundary demarcation increasingly important for all parties involved.
