Madhapur police book Dubbak BRS MLA Kotha Prabhakar for `encroaching’ 5 acres of Durgam Cheruvu lake

Hyderabad: Madhapur police have registered a criminal case against Dubbak BRS MLA Kotha Prabhakar Reddy and Venkat Reddy for allegedly encroaching upon nearly five acres of the Durgam Cheruvu lake.

This follows a complaint lodged by HYDRAA.

The case has been booked under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Prevention of Damage to Public Property (PDPP) Act, police said.

HMDA notification ignored since 2014

According to the complaint, the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) had issued a Full Tank Level (FTL) primary notification in 2014, clearly demarcating the boundaries of Durgam Cheruvu.

Despite the notification, the accused allegedly went ahead and encroached upon the lake area by dumping soil, stones, and construction debris, progressively reclaiming portions of the water body over the years.

Five acres of lake area reclaimed

HYDRAA officials, acting on directions from the Commissioner, conducted a detailed survey using HMDA records and confirmed that around five acres of lake land had been illegally reclaimed. The encroachment, officials said, has been continuing uninterrupted since 2014.

Illegal commercial use for parking

The complaint further stated that the reclaimed land was being illegally used as a parking facility for STS private transport buses, catering mainly to schools and IT companies in the Madhapur–HITEC City belt.

Authorities allege that the accused were earning substantial illegal revenue by leasing out the encroached land for commercial parking.

₹50 lakh monthly earnings alleged

In a recent enforcement drive, HYDRAA removed nearly five acres of illegal encroachments near Inorbit Mall in Madhapur, where the land was being used for vehicle parking.

Officials estimate that the illegal parking operations were generating up to ₹50 lakh per month, highlighting the scale of commercial exploitation of the encroached lake land.

FIR based on HYDRAA Complaint

Police said the FIR was registered based on a complaint filed by a HYDRAA supervisor, and further investigation is underway to ascertain the role of the accused, the extent of environmental damage, and the financial gains made through the encroachment.

BRS MLA Kotha Prabhakar Reddy rejects Durgam Cheruvu encroachment charges

Kotha Prabhakar Reddy has strongly denied reports accusing him of encroaching upon Durgam Cheruvu, terming the allegations “completely baseless” and politically motivated.

He said a case was falsely registered claiming that he had encroached upon five acres of lake land, asserting that neither he nor the government owns even a single square yard within the lake area.

The BRS MLA stated that the land cited in the case has long been used by the public for vehicle parking and garbage dumping, and that cases were booked merely for parking vehicles on open land, roadsides, and under trees. He alleged that the case was filed out of personal vendetta and challenged the authorities to produce concrete evidence if they claim he occupied government land.

Clarifying further, Prabhakar Reddy said he does not own any land in Durgam Cheruvu and declared that he is ready to face any consequences if encroachment is proven. He also pointed out that lands belonging to actor Balakrishna and Lahari Estate’s Haribabu are located adjacent to the area.

Stating that he would legally contest the case, the MLA said he would cooperate with the police and personally visit the police station. He warned that if the case is not withdrawn unconditionally, he would launch protests in front of houses allegedly constructed within the Full Tank Level (FTL), reiterating that vehicle parking in the area is a long-standing and natural practice.