HC Threatens to Summon Top Officials Over Notice Board in Civil Court

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Thursday took issue with the state government and revenue department officials for failing to furnish an affidavit, stating their contentions in a suo motu writ petition pertaining to the erection of a notice board regarding ownership of land on the City Civil Court premises in Secunderabad.

The division bench of Chief Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice N. Tukaramji fumed at officials for failing to give notice to the Chief Judge of the City Civil Court in the matter and threatened to summon the Chief Secretary of Telangana along with revenue officials if a counter-affidavit, duly furnishing reasons for erecting the notice board, is not filed in the matter by July 25.

The notice board was erected on the Secunderabad court premises on April 1 by the revenue authorities, who mentioned that the land belonged to the government and that trespassers would be prosecuted.

The High Court took up the issue as a suo motu writ petition on the grounds that erecting such a notice board within the precincts of the court complex, that too without notice or discussion with court officials, was not only unacceptable but also amounted to interference in the administration of justice.

On April 6, the division bench comprising the Chief Justice issued notices to the Chief Secretary, Principal Secretary (revenue), chief commissioner of land administration, district collector of Hyderabad, Hyderabad police commissioner and MRO of Marredpally in Secunderabad, seeking their response to the notices by June 22.

As no counter-affidavit was filed, the High Court bench expressed its displeasure.

Chief Justice Ujjal Bhuyan observed: “Who had put up the notice board in the premises of the City Civil Court, Secunderabad… all of them should be present in the High Court in person … a notice board is erected in the City Civil Court saying that the land belongs to the government…tomorrow, you will put up a notice board in the premises of the High Court and claim that the land belongs to the government”.

The bench made it clear that if the counter affidavit is not filed by the next date of hearing on July 25, the Chief Secretary and other officials will have to be present in court without fail.