Telangana HC slams HYDRAA, orders restoration of property in Kukatpally
The Telangana High Court has come down heavily on the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) for demolishing structures on a Kukatpally plot despite judicial protection.
Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court has slammed the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) for its ‘brazen’ and ‘high-handed’ conduct, accusing the agency of treating judicial directives as mere inconveniences.
The Court characterized the agency’s actions as a ‘recurring modus operandi’ which included demolishing structures and seizing land, only to seek justification after the fact.
The Court’s order was related to the demolition of fencing, security rooms, and entry gates on a 13-acre 17-gunta plot in Kukatpally on May 25 and 26, 2026, despite orders protecting the property.
The High Court noted that the land had been regularized by the government under G.O. Ms. No. 469 in 2008. The Court highlighted that the authorities, who had previously admitted on oath in their own counter-affidavits that the property was not a water body, Shikam, or tank, were now taking a contradictory stance to justify the recent destruction.
The Court also directed the immediate restoration of the property within 24 hours. The respondents must reconstruct demolished structures and restore electricity.
Crucially, the Court ruled that if officials failed to comply with the orders, the petitioner could undertake the restoration at the personal cost of the responsible officials, to be recovered from their personal funds. The Court further restrained HYDRAA from any future interference pending the final disposal of the case
