Telangana HC orders status quo on disputed temple lands in Nalgonda

The Telangana High Court has ordered status quo on disputed lands at Chintapalli in Nalgonda district while hearing an Endowments Department appeal. The appeal challenges a Single Judge’s directions to register sale deeds in favour of the petitioners

By Legal Correspondent

Hyderabad: A Division Bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Sam Koshy and Justice Suddala Chalapathi Rao of the Telangana High Court on Tuesday ordered maintenance of status quo with regard to the disputed lands at Chintapalli village in Nalgonda district, while hearing an appeal filed by the Endowments Department challenging the directions issued by a Single Judge for registration of sale deeds in favour of the petitioners.

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Nirmala and others, residents of Saroornagar, Hyderabad, had approached the High Court challenging the refusal of the Sub-Registrar to register their properties situated at Chintapalli. The Single Judge had held that registration authorities could not refuse registration merely on the basis of letters or information furnished by the Endowments Department claiming the properties to belong to a temple, in the absence of a formal Gazette notification as required under law.

The Single Judge had observed that while certain records of the Endowments Department claimed that the lands belonged to Gattupati Venkateswara Swamy Temple, the revenue records indicated otherwise. Accordingly, the Court had set aside four rejection orders passed by the Sub-Registrar on March 28, 2013, along with the consequential orders passed by the District Registrar on May 29, 2015, rejecting the appeals. The authorities were directed to register the sale deeds in favour of the petitioners, subject to fulfilment of other statutory requirements.

Aggrieved by the said directions, the Endowments Department preferred an appeal before the Division Bench. After hearing the matter on Tuesday, the Bench directed the parties to maintain status quo with regard to the disputed lands and adjourned the matter for further hearing.