Telangana HC issues contempt notice to Rangareddy DC for defying stay orders on Bhoodan land in Nagaram

Hyderabad: Telangana High Court has issued a contempt notice to the Rangareddy District Collector for allegedly defying its stay orders on a disputed parcel of government and Bhoodan land in Nagaram village, Maheshwaram Mandal.

Stay order ignored despite clear directions

Justice C V Bhasker Reddy directed the Collector to submit a detailed report by July 11, 2025, explaining the alleged breach of the court’s interim order dated April 24, 2025, which had stayed all transactions and alterations on over 26 acres of land in Survey Numbers 180 and 182.

Ongoing construction sparks Court ire

Petitioner Birla Mallesh informed the court that despite the stay, illegal construction activities continued on the site. Photographic evidence presented showed the construction of a compound wall, prompting the judge to direct immediate investigation and a status report.

Allegations of High-Level fraud and collusion

The contempt case stems from a larger writ petition filed by Mallesh, accusing senior IAS and IPS officers from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh of colluding with revenue and registration officials to fraudulently transfer the land using forged documents and manipulated revenue records.

Petitioner claims 50 years of cultivation

Mallesh claimed that his family had been cultivating the land peacefully for over five decades, but it was falsely included under Survey No. 194 to enable illegal transactions.

`Misuse' of Dharani Portal

He further alleged misuse of the Dharani digital land portal and the issuance of fraudulent 13-B certificates, commonly referred to as `Saida Bainama', to legitimize these transfers. Despite filing multiple complaints since November 2024, he said officials ignored his pleas and instead issued legal threats and defamation notices to silence him.

‘Fence Eating the Crop,’ observes Court

Expressing grave concern, Justice Reddy remarked that land meant for the poor was being usurped by the powerful, terming it “a case of the fence eating the crop.”