Telangana HC issues notice to ex-Hyderabad DC Naveen Mittal in evacuee property NOC case

Hyderabad: Telangana High Court has issued notice to senior IAS officer Naveen Mittal in connection with alleged irregularities in the issuance of No Objection Certificates (NOCs) related to evacuee property in Hyderabad's Nanal Nagar area.

The action follows two separate writ petitions filed by petitioner Shanti Agarwal, who has accused Mittal of illegal conduct during his tenure as Hyderabad district Collector.

Dual petitions raise serious allegations

The matter pertains to land located in Survey No. 284/6 at Gudimalkapur, where the NOCs were allegedly granted in violation of legal procedures.

In the first petition, Agarwal sought judicial intervention against the state government's delay in sanctioning the prosecution of Mittal under Section 197 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), despite a prior High Court observation highlighting irregularities.

Agarwal had approached the Chief Secretary on April 26, 2024, seeking the required sanction. However, the request has remained unanswered beyond the three months prescribed by the Supreme Court in the landmark Vineet Narain judgment, prompting her to approach the High Court.

Trial court decision also contested

In her second petition, Agarwal challenged a decision by a lower court that had deferred cognisance proceedings against Mittal and other officials on the grounds of the pending sanction under Section 197 CrPC. She argued that such a delay obstructs the course of justice.

Charges of forgery and denial of Natural Justice

Agarwal alleged that the NOCs were issued illegally to third parties using forged and fabricated documents. She claimed that false recitals were used to misrepresent facts and that her objections were recorded without any formal notice or opportunity to be heard. According to her, the proceedings resulted in a declaration of title and possession in favour of the applicants, effectively nullifying her legal claim.

She further contended that the land in question had already been classified as evacuee property under Government Order No. 388, dated December 20, 1954, which formed the basis of her ownership claim. The issuance of NOCs, she argued, was a deliberate attempt to reclassify the land as “non-evacuee,” thereby invalidating her title.

Court issues notices

The petitions were heard by two separate single-judge benches headed by Justice K. Lakshman and Justice N. Tukaramji. After hearing preliminary arguments, both benches issued notices to Naveen Mittal, marking the beginning of judicial scrutiny into the matter.

The case has once again brought attention to the complexities surrounding evacuee property in Hyderabad and raised questions about procedural lapses, administrative accountability, and the implementation of legal safeguards in land-related disputes.