Sublease Without Owner’s Consent Illegal, Telangana HC Orders DGP to Probe
The Telangana High Court directed the DGP to conduct an appropriate inquiry and take necessary action within three months.
Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Tuesday ruled that subletting a rented property without the owner’s written consent is illegal and directed the DGP to inquire into a complaint regarding a police station being run in such premises in Cherlapally.
Hearing a petition filed by the property owner Tirumala Lakshmanacharyulu, Justice E.V. Venugopal observed that he had leased his 240-square-yard, ground-plus-two building in EC Nagar Cherlapally, in Medchal-Malkajgiri district, to the Cherlapally Notified Municipal Industrial Area Services Society for ₹36,000 per month for 11 months.
Without the owner’s permission, the society allegedly sublet the property to set up a police station. The petitioner contended that rent and electricity dues were pending and that he was unable to get the premises vacated out of fear, as it was being used as a police station.
Despite submitting a representation to the DGP on February 27 seeking action, no steps were taken, he alleged. The government counsel informed the court that all pending dues were cleared in March.
The judge noted that the lease period had expired and that the owner’s rights over the property were clear. “Subletting by the society without the owner’s consent is illegal,” the court said, terming the establishment of the police station without verifying ownership rights as “illegal and an encroachment.”
The High Court directed the DGP to conduct an appropriate inquiry and take necessary action within three months. The writ petition was accordingly disposed of.