Setback for IAS, IPS Who Bought Bhoodan Land

Hyderabad:In a setback to IAS and IPS officers who purchased alleged Bhoodan and gairan land in Survey No.s 181, 194 and 195 of Nagaram of Maheswaram mandal, the Telangana High Court on Friday dismissed their request to remove the properties from the prohibited list. The court rejected their interim applications seeking to allow the transactions or alter or change the character of the land.

Justice K. Lakshman on Friday dismissed the interim applications filed by IAS officer Naveen Mittal; Aishwarya Raj, daughter of IAS officer Vikas Raj; Perla Varun, son of IPS officer Vishwa Prasad; and others, who had requested the court to vacate the stay orders issued on April 24. The stay orders were issued by Justice C.V. Bhaskar Reddy while dealing a petition filed by Birla Mallesh alleging government inaction on the complaints against the IAS and IPS officers and their kin for purchasing government or bhoodan land.

Petitioner Mallesh had requested the court to direct a probe by the Enforcement Directorate and the CBI. Justice Reddy while issuing stay orders had directed the government to move the properties to the prohibited list and not allow transactions, alterations or any changes.

EIPL Constructions and their directors and several IAS and IPS officers and their kin had filed interim applications seeking to vacate the stay orders and allow transactions and alienations by removing the properties from the prohibited list.

Justice Lakshman had heard the interim applications a few days ago, and pronounced orders on Friday.

Justice Lakshman was of the view that prima facie there were serious allegations against the IAS and IPS officers who had purchased land and revenue officials who had facilitated the process. The court also noted that the purchasers were IAS and IPS officers holding important positions, who had purchased the land in their name or those of their kin.

Particularly, the High Court noted that serious allegations were levekled against D. Amoy Kumar while he was working as district collector, Rangareddy district, and said that several aspects required examination. The court also pointed out that some of IAS and IPS officers had filed appeals against the April 24 orders before a division bench of the High Court which had declined to intervene. Hence, the Judge dismissed the applications to vacate the stay orders.

At the same time, Justice Lakshman allowed implead petition filed by 28 private parties who had purchased land admeasuring 3.85 acres in Sy No. 195/1 to 10 and obtained pattadar passbooks. As they were also claimed the property, the court considered them as interested parties.

The court dismissed two writ petitions filed in relation to the same subject. In one of them, one Vadthya Ramulu of Nagaram had sought a direction to the government to appoint a commission of inquiry into the alleged fraudulent transactions in the land in Survey No.s 194 and 195. He claimed ownership of around 10.17 acres in the same survey numbers through a gift deed executed by his father. According to him, that his land was mutated to third parties behind his back, with the help of revenue authorities and two private parties — who he named as Abdul Javeed and Arshiya Sultana — who through middleman sold the land to IAS and IPS officers, by allotting sub- divisions.

Justice Lakshman also dismissed a petition filed by Mallesh, who complained that the Maheshwaram tahsildar was not considering his RTI application seeking copies of mutation proceedings, issuance of pattadar passbooks etc. in respect of land in Sy No. 194 and to declare it as abuse of public authority under the relevant laws.