HC division bench reverts writ petition over ‘faulty’ order by single judge

Hyderabad: The division bench of the Telangana High Court, headed by Chief Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, faulted a single-judge order that disposed of a land-related petition without issuing notices or hearing the contentions of related parties.

Dealing with an appeal filed by Ravula Laxmi Reddy and Sushruth Reddy of Saidapur town in Karimnagar district, the court found that there was a dispute over a 1.2 guntas of land in Rayakal village in Saidapur mandal between the appellants and Raghunayakula Ramya.

Previously, Ramya had complained to the single-judge bench that the revenue authorities were not mutating the property in her name in revenue records, claiming that she had bought it through registered sale deeds.

Despite the ownership tussle, the single-judge bench ordered revenue authorities to take necessary action on mutation, following which Ravula Laxmi and Sushruth Reddy filed an appeal, claiming that they were not heard or even issued a notice by the single-judge bench despite being made parties to the case.

Considering the point raised by the duo, the division bench observed that subsequent issuance of notice and hearing by the statutory authority cannot be a substitute for notice and hearing by the writ court.

Saying that they ought to have been heard before disposal of the said writ petition, the division bench set aside the previous order of the single-judge bench and remanded back the writ petition to decide the petition afresh, after hearing out all the parties.