Supreme Court halts Telangana government’s actions on Kanch Gachibowli land dispute

Highlights

The Supreme Court has issued critical orders regarding the Kanch Gachibowli land dispute, expressing strong disapproval of the Telangana government's handling of the matter.

The Supreme Court has issued critical orders regarding the Kanch Gachibowli land dispute, expressing strong disapproval of the Telangana government's handling of the matter. The apex court has directed the state to halt all actions related to the land until further orders.

The case was heard on Thursday, during which the Supreme Court reviewed an interim report submitted by the Telangana High Court registrar. Justice Gavai’s bench, after examining the report, questioned the state government on how it could take the law into its own hands, calling the matter extremely serious. The court was informed of the issue through media reports presented by the amicus curiae before Justice Gavai’s bench.

In a significant move, the Supreme Court included the Telangana Chief Secretary as a respondent in the case and questioned the urgency behind the government’s actions. The court also inquired whether the government had obtained permission from the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) before cutting down trees, pointing out that felling trees across 100 acres in a single day was not a minor issue. The Chief Secretary has been ordered to respond to these concerns.

The Supreme Court has directed the Telangana government to submit an affidavit regarding the matter and scheduled the next hearing for the 16th of this month. During the hearing, government lawyers argued that the land had been disputed for 30 years and that there was no evidence to classify it as forest land. However, after listening to arguments from both sides, the bench ordered a suspension of all government actions on the disputed land.

The case was also heard in the Supreme Court earlier in the day, with the court directing authorities to submit a report by 3:30 pm. The matter continues to remain under legal scrutiny, with further proceedings expected in the coming days.