Telangana High Court to hear PIL pleas over Kancha Gachibowli lands on April 24

Telangana High Court in Hyderabad. File
| Photo Credit: SIDDHANT THAKUR

Telangana High Court on Monday (April 07) adjourned to April 24 the hearing of the PIL pleas seeking to stall the attempts by the State government to take over 400 acres of land abutting the University of Hyderabad. 

A Bench of Acting Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Renuka Yara, while deferring the hearing of the matter, instructed the State government’s departments of Forest, Revenue and Police to file counter affidavits by the next date of hearing. Advocate Menaka Guruswamy, appearing for the Forest department, told the Bench that attempts were being made to stall the government project of developing infrastructure for IT sector in the 400 acres of land by circulating fake pics and videos created by Artificial Intelligence. 

Some persons were spreading these fake content through social media to stir anti-government sentiment and carry negative campaign. She requested the Bench to pass directions to police to initiate probe into such efforts to malign State government. Declining to issue any specific orders on the points the advocate had raised, the Acting CJ sought to know if she was representing any petitioner or respondent before instructing the State government wings to file counter affidavits. 

Already, the Supreme Court of India had issued notices to the State government having suo motu taken cognisance of the alleged destruction of trees in the said land resulting in damage to flora and fauna based on media reports. Having instructed the government to immediately stop ground levelling works at the land and felling of trees, the Apex Court instructed the Chief Secretary to furnish a report explaining if rules and laws related to forest conservation were complied with in the matter. 

When the hearing began, the counsel for Vata Foundation, one of the PIL petitioners, informed the Bench that the Supreme Court was already seized of the matter. The Apex Court would be hearing the matter on April 16 and hence the hearing by the HC Bench can be deferred to month-end, the counsel said. After taking into consideration submissions of other counsels, the Bench adjourned the matter to April 24.