Bhoodan Lands: IPS Officers Approach HC Against Single Bench Order

Several IPS officers have approached the Telangana High Court over its adverse orders in the Bhoodan lands issue.

The court, which had taken up the matter on April 2, ordered that the lands belonging to 27 officers among others be placed in the prohibited list.

A single judge bench of Justice Bhaskar Reddy issued a verdict to this effect.

Challenging the verdict, some IPS officers today approached the High Court. These officers included Mahesh Bhagwat, Swati Lakra and Soumya Mishra.

Birla Mallesh of Maheshwaram mandal had filed a petition in the High Court seeking an investigation by the CBI and ED into the sales and purchases. He alleged that although he had complained to the higher officials of the State government about the irregularities in the Bhoodan land case, no action had been taken by the authorities in the issue.

Justice C V Bhaskar Reddy took up the matter on April 24. The bench, after hearing the arguments of the petitioner's counsel, clarified that a preliminary examination of the records showed that the lands in survey numbers 181, 182, 194, and 195 in Nagaram belonged to the Bhoodan Board.

Given the serious allegations made against the higher officials in the petition, the court also said that there was a possibility of misuse of power by them for their own interests.

The High Court then, as a move to protect public property, issued orders to include the lands in those survey numbers in the prohibited list until the hearings on this petition were concluded. The respondents were directed not to make any changes or additions to those lands until further orders, and no alienation was allowed.