High Court Seeks Removal of HYDRAA Chief A.V. Ranganath Over Contempt Petitions

The High Court issued a directive seeking the removal of A.V. Ranganath as the Commissioner of the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) following a batch of contempt petitions concerning a land parcel in Lothkunta village of Medchal Malkajgiri district. The legal action arose after allegations that HYDRAA violated earlier court orders by entering, clearing, and fencing off the contested site near Ammuguda despite a previous undertaking that officers would not interfere with the property.

The dispute involves a 40-acre parcel of land situated beside a railway line close to Ammuguda, which was in the possession of a renowned builder who had won a long legal battle against the government. HYDRAA entered the site following a complaint from the Society to Save Rocks regarding the destruction of hillocks. The agency subsequently cleared the land and fenced it off, prompting the contempt proceedings.

In response to the petitions, Mr. Ranganath stated that HYDRAA forces had not entered the petitioner's land in Lothkunta village. Instead, he claimed the agency had only cleared government land located in the overlapping territory between Trimulgherry and Alwal. He noted that the geo-coordinates of the land secured by HYDRAA matched General Land Register number GLR 243, designating government land allocated to the Cantonment.

Mr. Ranganath further stated that the land secured by HYDRAA is located three kilometres away from the property claimed by the petitioner in survey numbers 1 and 2 of Lothkunta village, adding that no survey numbers 1 and 2 exist in Lothkunta village. He also described a land acquisition order purportedly issued by the Railways, which was presented as key evidence by the petitioner during the previous case, as fabricated.

Adding to the issue, representatives of the Society to Save Rocks, who originally reported rock blasting on the land, noted the presence of three signboards indicating that the site was A1 Defence land. Although the dispute could have been resolved through an appeal to a division bench of the High Court, the enforcement operation conducted by HYDRAA directly led to the current contempt petition.

Following the news of the High Court directive, Mr. Ranganath defended the agency's actions, stating that HYDRAA only attempted to implement the rule of law in letter and spirit during the clearance operation. He added that the agency will take appropriate legal recourse going forward.