Banjara Hills Land Regularisation: HC Gives Govt Last Chance to File Stand
The PIL was filed in 2024 by Gadeela Raghuveer Reddy
Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Tuesday gave the state government a final opportunity to place on record its stand on the controversial regularisation of valuable government land in Banjara Hills in favour of the son and daughter of former MP and government adviser K. Keshava Rao at rates far below the prevailing market value. The case will be heard again on September 3,
The bench granted three weeks as a “last indulgence” to additional advocate-general (AAG) Imran Khan to file an affidavit setting out the government’s stand on the issue. It specifically directed the state to explain in the affidavit the steps taken by the department concerned between December 10, 2025, and August 2026, pursuant to the court’s earlier order.
The PIL was filed in 2024 by Gadeela Raghuveer Reddy, represented by counsel Y. Shreyas Reddy, challenging the validity of GO Ms. No. 56, revenue department, dated May 23. 2023. The GO provided for regularisation of 1,161 square yards in Survey No.129/1 and New Survey No.140 at NBT Nagar, Road No. 12, Banjara Hills, in favour of K. Venkateswara Rao, son of Keshava Rao, at ₹2,500 per square yard.
Another extent of 425 square yards in Survey No.129 and New Survey No.403 in the same locality was regularised in favour of Vijayalaxmi Gadwal, former mayor and daughter of Keshava Rao, at ₹350 per square yard.
The petitioner contended that the regularisations were contrary to the state’s land regularisation policy and violated Article 14 of the constitution, as similarly placed applicants were required to pay substantially higher amounts.
Petitioner’s counsel Shreyas Reddy submitted that the regularisations were made by invoking amendments relating to notified slum areas and alleged that the two parcels were granted at nominal rates instead of the prevailing basic value/card rate. According to the petitioner, the applicable value under the regularisation policy was around ₹60,300 per square yard, while the market value of land in NBT Nagar, Road No. 12, Banjara Hills, had risen to several crores of rupees.
During an earlier hearing, the division bench had questioned whether the benefit extended to the two beneficiaries was being uniformly offered to other applicants seeking regularisation of government land. The bench had stressed that the government’s policy should be applied equally to all citizens and questioned the rationale for treating the two cases differently.
When the matter came up again on Tuesday, the bench noted that despite the passage of nearly eight months and repeated adjournments, the state had not brought on record its stand pursuant to the December 10 order.
With the AAG seeking further time, the Bench granted three weeks as a final opportunity and directed that the affidavit should specifically disclose the action taken by the state during the intervening period.
SC stayed further proceedings in 1958 suit related to estate of Nawab Salar Jung
The Supreme Court has stayed further proceedings in the long-pending CS No.
13 of 1958, concerning the sprawling estate of late Salar Jung III, Mir
Yousuf Ali Khan, bringing proceedings before the Telangana High Court to a
temporary halt.
The suit was filed seeking partition of the properties, possession of
claimants’ share and a declaration concerning their entitlement to the
commutation amount relating to the jagir of Salar Jung III. Several
connected claims subsequently came to be considered in the proceedings. A
preliminary compromise decree was passed on March 5, 1959, while subsequent
proceedings continued in relation to implementation of the decree and claims
of various persons.
The Telangana High Court, in proceedings arising out of the suit, had
recently dealt with applications filed by a few persons claiming to be legal
heirs of the deceased Ashrafunnisa Begum (defendant 123 in the CS 14) and
seeking their impleadment or recognition of rights in the estate. The High
Court in February had dismissed the applications by noting that entertaining
certain applications at this stage could virtually amount to reopening the
compromise preliminary decree passed in 1959.
Challenging the High Court orders, Hadi Ali Khan and others approached the
Supreme Court which stayed further proceedings in the suit pending before
the High Court.
HC issued Notices on allegation of land encroachment in Gajwel
The Telangana High Court on Tuesday issued notices to the state government
and private parties over allegations of illegal conversion of and proposed
development on Bhoodan land in Gajwel of Siddipet district. A division bench
comprising Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice G.M. Mohiuddin
adjourned a public interest litigation (PIL) on the matter by three weeks
and directed the authorities and private respondent B. Malla Reddy to file
counter-affidavits.
The PIL, filed by Jangam Ramesh Goud of Gajwel, alleged that there were
attempts to usurp 3.34 acres out of 11.24 acres of Bhoodan land in Survey
No. 695 by converting it into non-agricultural land and developing it a
residential layout. The petitioner alleged that the land had not been
included in the prohibited properties list under Section 22-A of the
Registration Act, which allegedly enabled attempts to secure
non-agricultural land assessment conversion and layout approval.
37 Seized Dogs: HC Gives Gachibowli Woman 2 Months to Find Home
After months of legal wrangling over 37 dogs seized from a Gachibowli apartment, the Telangana High Court on Tuesday gave their owner a final period of two months to find suitable accommodation for them, failing which the younger dogs would be given up for adoption. After seizure, the dogs were kept at the animal care centre of the People For Animals ( PFA) at Nagole. Five of them and PFA raised concern over the prospect of maintaining the dogs for months together.
Considering the PFA’s concern and the request of the dogs` owner Kameshwari Pidaparthi, a division bench comprising Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice G.M. Mohiuddin gave her a final opportunity to find suitable accommodation where she could keep the dogs. In case the owner was not able to do so, a decision would be taken on the question of giving the younger dogs for adoption as they are about six to seven months of age, the court said.
The court directed Pidaparthi to file an affidavit in this regard by September 21, mentioning the description of the accommodation so that it could be inspected by the GHMC.
The case acquired an emotional dimension when Kameshwari described the animals as her “children” and said they had been an integral part of her family for more than 13 years. She denied allegations of cruelty of dogs and questioned the decision to seize them from her three-bedroom apartment because of complaints of 30 residents in the apartment in relation to barking and nuisance.
The GHMC veterinary department had issued notice in October 2025, directing Pidaparthi to shift the dogs from the apartment or hand them over to a recognised NGO. She challenged the action before the High Court. A single judge bench directed her to relocate the dogs within the stipulated period, making it clear that no further extension would be granted and permitting the GHMC to take action in accordance with law if this was not done. When the directions were not complied with, the dogs were eventually seized and shifted to the PFA shelter at Nagole.
Later, the welfare of the dogs became a major issue and PFA filed an appeal and informed the division bench that five of the animals had died while undergoing treatment at its facility.