Telangana HC seeks response from HYDRAA, officials in contempt plea over farmhouse demolition

By Our Legal Correspondent

Hyderabad: Justice C.V. Bhaskar Reddy of the Telangana High Court has issued Form-I notices directing the respondents to appear before the Court in a contempt case alleging wilful violation of an earlier order restraining demolition of constructions on private land at Ailapur village in Sangareddy district.

The notices were issued to T.K. Sreedevi, Principal Secretary, Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department, HYDRAA Commissioner A.V. Ranganath, Sangareddy District Collector P. Pravinya, Joint Collector R.D. Madhavi, Revenue Divisional Officer Rajender, Ameenpur Tahsildar Y. Venkatesh, District Panchayat Officer Ravi, Ameenpur Municipality Commissioner Pradeep Kumar and the Station House Officer of Ameenpur Police Station, after they failed to submit their responses.

The contempt case was filed by M.A. Shareef, a 98-year-old landowner, alleging that HYDRAA officials demolished his farmhouse and other structures on April 11, 2026, despite an interim order passed by the High Court on September 25, 2024, directing the authorities not to take coercive steps to remove the existing constructions pending further orders.

Counsel for the petitioner, Deepak Mishra, contended that a large contingent of HYDRAA, Revenue and Police personnel entered the property in the early hours and carried out the demolition without issuing prior notice or providing an opportunity of hearing. He contended that the officials proceeded with the demolition despite being informed about the pending proceedings and the protection granted by the Court.

He further contended that the respondents had wilfully and deliberately violated the High Court’s order by demolishing the structures despite the subsisting protection. He sought initiation of contempt proceedings against the officials for their alleged disobedience of the Court’s directions. Accordingly, the Court issued Form-1 notices to the officials.