High Court allows criminal revision petition on Bhoodan land dispute

Allowing the Criminal Revision, the court set aside the order of the Maheshwaram Metropolitan Magistrate and remanded the matter for fresh consideration

Hyderabad: Justice K Sujana of the Telangana High Court on Monday allowed a criminal revision petition and revived prosecution in a long-pending Bhoodan land dispute involving senior officials and private developers. Allowing the Criminal Revision, the court set aside the order of the Maheshwaram Metropolitan Magistrate and remanded the matter for fresh consideration, directing registration of a criminal case in connection with the alleged illegal transfer of Bhoodan land in Survey No. 181 of Nagaram village, Maheshwaram.

The criminal revision was filed by Dastagir Shareef, represented by advocate Asad Hussain, challenging the refusal of the Magistrate to register a criminal complaint despite serious allegations of unlawful alienation of protected Bhoodan land. The case pertains to the alleged role of the then Principal Secretary, Revenue, Navin Mittal, the Maheshwaram Tahsildar Mahmood Ali, EIPL Constructions Managing Director K Sridhar Reddy, and others, in facilitating the transfer of Bhoodan land to private interests.

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Justice K Sujana held that the Magistrate had committed an error in declining to act on the complaint and ordered that the matter be sent back to the Maheshwaram Metropolitan Magistrate for registration of an FIR and further proceedings in accordance with law. It is also pertinent to note that the Enforcement Directorate is already investigating the alleged Bhoodan land scam relating to the same survey number. In connection with the probe, the ED had summoned the then district collector Amoy Kumar, conducted searches, and attached multiple properties said to be proceeds of crime.