The Supreme Court has given strict orders in the ongoing Kanch Gachibowli land dispute, criticizing the Telangana government for how it has handled the situation. The court has instructed the state government to stop all work related to the land until further notice.
The case was heard on Thursday. During the hearing, the Supreme Court looked at a temporary report submitted by the Telangana High Court registrar. A bench led by Justice Gavai questioned the state government’s actions, saying it was a serious matter. The court learned about the issue through media reports brought by a lawyer appointed to help the court (amicus curiae).
In an important step, the Supreme Court added the Telangana Chief Secretary as a party in the case. The court asked why the government acted so quickly and whether it had permission from the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) to cut down trees. The judges were concerned that trees across 100 acres were cut in a single day, which they said should not be taken lightly. The Chief Secretary was asked to explain these actions.
The court has ordered the Telangana government to submit a written statement (affidavit) explaining its side of the story. The next hearing is scheduled for the 16th of this month. During the hearing, government lawyers said the land has been under dispute for 30 years and claimed there is no proof it is forest land. However, after hearing both sides, the court ordered that all government activity on the land must stop for now.
Earlier in the day, the court had also told authorities to submit a report by 3:30 pm. The case is still under legal review, and more updates are expected as the proceedings continue.
