The Telangana High Court on Thursday, April 3, has adjourned the Kancha Gachibowli tree-felling case to April 7, granting an extension to the interim order already in place. The matter, concerning alleged deforestation in the Kancha Gachibowli area near Hyderabad Central University, has also been taken up by the Supreme Court of India.
Senior Advocate D Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for the State of Telangana, argued before the Supreme Court that the ongoing proceedings in the apex court should not impede the High Court's handling of the matter. He further stated that there were no claims, petitions, or documents proving that the land in question was designated as forest land. Singhvi also noted that the surrounding areas include green spaces such as a golf course and a biodiversity park, and that the land was allotted to IMG Bharat.
Counsel for the petitioner, Senior Advocate Niranjan Reddy, contended that tree felling had continued even as the matter was sub judice, alleging police atrocities against students protesting against the deforestation. He further claimed that a student recording videos of the incident had been detained.
The court has placed the State on notice and directed that counters to the interim applications be filed before the next hearing on April 7. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has passed an interim order staying the felling of trees in the disputed area. A bench comprising Justice B.R. Gavai and Justice A.G. Masih took note of reports alleging large-scale deforestation and directed the Registrar (Judicial) of the Telangana High Court to inspect the site and submit a report.
The Supreme Court has also instructed the Chief Secretary of Telangana to ensure that no further tree felling takes place until further orders. The High Court proceedings remain unaffected by the Supreme Court’s intervention.