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The Telangana High Court has directed the Chief Secretary to relieve IPS officer AV Ranganath from his position as Commissioner of Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) and find a suitable replacement, after repeated violations of court orders.
Justice Anil Kumar Jukanti gave the direction on July 27 while hearing a batch of contempt cases over HYDRAA officials allegedly interfering with a disputed land parcel in Lothkunta of Secunderabad, in violation of court orders.
The High Court also noted that around 63 contempt cases against the HYDRAA Commissioner are pending before it about his tenure of about 1.5 years, The New Indian Express reported.
Established in 2024, HYDRAA is a Telangana government agency responsible for protecting government assets, lakes, and public land in Hyderabad from encroachments. The government has credited the agency with reclaiming huge tracts of government land.
However, HYDRAA has also faced criticism over allegations that it has been used to target political opponents of the ruling Congress, and for demolition drives that activists say have affected residents and property owners without adequate notice.
In the present case, the disputed land of 40 acres in Lothkunta is claimed by Shanta Sriram Constructions, which accused HYDRAA of repeatedly entering the property and causing damage despite court orders restraining interference. The petitions were filed in May and earlier this month, arising from a long-pending ownership dispute dating back to 2016.
Shanta Sriram Constructions claims title through a purchase made in 1955, supported by revenue records and subsequent mutations. The Telangana government, however, maintains that the land is government property, based on the 1937 General Land Register.
Justice Anil Kumar had recently directed the Indian Army to secure this disputed land, observing that it had lost confidence in the state government and its agencies to ensure compliance with judicial orders. The next day, on July 24, the court directed Ranganath to submit an affidavit with an apology and an explanation for HYDRAA’s interference in the land dispute. The court has now asked for his replacement despite an apology being filed.