The Telangana High Court on Tuesday admonished the Medak District Collector and other officials for conducting a survey and inspecting the lands of Jamuna Hatcheries, which belongs to the kin of former minister Eatala Rajender. The court pulled up officials for inspecting the land without issuing notices and without intimating the owner of the land. The court observed that this was a clear violation of Articles 14 (equality before law), 19 (freeom of expression), 21 (protection of life and personal liberty) and 300-A (persons not to be deprived of property save by the law) of the Constitution and also section 153 of the Telangana State Land Revenue Act.
Justice T Vinod Kumar made this observation while hearing a house motion petition filed by Jamuna Hatcheries Private Limited. The company was represented by its director Eatala Nithin and his mother E Jamuna. The petition was filed against trespassing into their lands by the Medak District Collector and other revenue officials.
The petitioners also urged the court to direct the concerned authorities to not take any coercive steps against them based on the district collector’s report which had alleged that 66 acres of assigned land had been encroached.
The Medak District Collector was ordered by the Chief Minister to carry out an inquiry into the land grabbing allegations and submit a report. A note from the CMO had said, “Chief Minister Sri K Chandrashekhar Rao has instructed Chief Secretary Sri Somesh Kumar to get an inquiry done by the District Collector on the complaints of encroachments of lands on the outskirts of Achampet in Masaipet Mandal in Medak district, get a comprehensive report and submit the same to him. The CM also instructed Vigilance DGP Sri Purnachandra Rao to find out the truth in the allegations. The CM issued orders that the primary inquiry on the matter should be done immediately, conduct a detailed inquiry and submit the reports.”
Responding to the immediate response by the officials in preparing a report within 24 hours by completing the inquiry into the allegations, the court wondered if the Chief Secretary, collectors and other officials showed such quick response to all complaints brought to their notice.
Responding to the observation of the court, the Advocate-General told the court that it was a preliminary report that was prepared and that a summary report will be prepared by following the due course of law.
The judge also wondered how a ‘detailed and full survey’ of the 120-odd acre land was conducted by the District Collector in a single day.
The court also directed the Director General of Police, the Vigilance and Enforcement officials and officials of the ACB and other concerned officials to not take any coercive steps against the petitioners.