The Supreme Court has dismissed a civil appeal filed by a city-based businessman, P Satya Narayana, upholding the eviction orders issued by the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) in connection with a disputed plot of land in Jubilee Hills. The ruling clears the decks for the Jubilee Hills House Building Cooperative Society to reclaim a prime 2,000-square-yard property in one of the city’s most sought-after localities.
Satya Narayana had approached the apex court after the Telangana high court earlier this month upheld HYDRAA’s eviction order and rejected his writ petition. On Friday, a division bench of Justices Manoj Misra and Ujjal Bhuyan, after hearing both sides, dismissed his appeal, thereby reinforcing the eviction directives.
HYDRAA had issued notices directing the removal of a tin shed and a nursery garden that Satya Narayana had set up on the disputed land, located along Road No. 1, Jubilee Hills. The agency had earlier passed a final order, observing that the petitioner had failed to produce valid documentary proof of ownership. Officials pointed out that the parcel of land forms part of the designated open space in the approved layout of the Jubilee Hills Cooperative House Building Society.
The high court, while upholding HYDRAA’s order on August 21, noted that a final order had already been passed against the petitioner. The court said that in such a scenario, the writ petition did not survive for adjudication. However, the HC granted Satya Narayana liberty to challenge the final eviction order before the appropriate forum. Pursuant to this, he moved the Supreme Court, which too found no merit in his plea.
Legal experts say the ruling is significant as it strengthens the powers of HYDRAA, which was set up by the state government to protect government and cooperative society lands from encroachments. “This judgment sends a clear signal that open spaces in approved layouts cannot be usurped under the pretext of private ownership. The courts have given HYDRAA a free hand to act against such encroachments,” said a senior advocate.
The Jubilee Hills House Building Cooperative Society, one of the oldest and largest housing societies in Hyderabad, has been battling encroachments on its open spaces for decades. Friday’s judgment is expected to pave the way for the society to reclaim and safeguard its designated lands, many of which have become prime real estate over the years.
For Satya Narayana, the dismissal of his appeal means he will now have to vacate the premises. HYDRAA officials indicated that they would move swiftly to implement the eviction order and restore the land to the Jubilee Hills society.
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