Telangana HC dismisses UoH petition, asked to approach competent civil court

Hyderabad: University of Hyderabad (UoH) suffered a major setback after Telangana High Court dismissed the petition challenging the government's decision to lay an approach road through the campus.

Justice Shameem Akther ruled that there were no merits in the contentions raised by the University and dismissed the plea.

UoH had challenged the decision to lay an approach road through its campus. The approach road, which has resulted in the acquisition of 18.30 acres of the University land, connects the Indian School of Business (ISB) to the government employees' colonies in Serilingampally Mandal of Rangareddy district.

UoH wanted directions to stop the government and GHMC from trespassing.

The land is part of the 2,324 acres allotted by the government of undivided Andhra Pradesh in 1975 to establish the university.

Senior advocate A Sudershan Reddy, appearing for the UoH, submitted that the land has been encroached upon and the authorities had proposed to lay an approach road without taking permission from the university.

In 2012, the UoH had opposed the proposal of parting with its land for laying the road.

Despite this, the Collector had directed the Tahsildar to hand over possession of the land to the GHMC for laying the road. This proposal was dropped after the varsity strongly objected to it. However, the GHMC recently leveled the area despite the land vested with the university.

Special counsel for the government Harender Pershad informed the court that the road has already been laid. He brought to the notice of the court that the writ petition does not disclose any valid grounds to grant any relief.

The court said that though it was handed over 2324.05 guntas of land in Sy.Nos.1 to 9, 14 to 24, and 25 of Kancha Gachibowli Village, Serilingampalli Mandal in 1974 to establish university campus, there is no documentation for alienation.

The court observed that a serious dispute has been raised by the government that the land was not allotted to the petitioner university and there is no government order or conveyance deed in this regard.

The court said that the dispute involves complicated questions of fact, which require a regular and full-fledged trial. In the circumstances, it is left to the university to work out the remedies before the competent civil court. The court noted that it is prudent that the court refrains from entertaining such a plea.