Telangana High Court Threatens Non-Bailable Warrant Against HYDRAA Commissioner in Lake Restoration Contempt Case

IPS officer AV Ranganath

Hyderabad:

The Telangana High Court issued a stern warning on Thursday to senior IPS officer AV Ranganath, currently serving as commissioner of the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA), that a non-bailable warrant would be issued if he fails to appear personally on December 5 regarding a contempt of court case involving restoration work at Bathukamma Kunta Lake in Hyderabad.

This forceful directive came after the court expressed significant dissatisfaction with the Commissioner's apparent non-compliance with previous judicial orders concerning disputed property adjacent to the lake in Bagh Amberpet.

The contempt proceedings originate from an ongoing dispute over land near Bathukamma Kunta lake, owned by petitioner A Sudhakar Reddy. HYDRAA maintains that this area falls within the lake's full tank level (FTL) and requires restoration efforts.

At the heart of the contempt allegation lies HYDRAA's purported violation of a High Court order issued in June. This order had specifically authorized the agency to conduct only limited pre-monsoon flood prevention work on the site, explicitly instructing them against encroaching on the disputed property.

The petitioner has alleged that the agency, while claiming to perform lake rejuvenation work, had actually undertaken "substantial alterations and modifications" to the property, thereby violating the court's explicit directive.

After examining photographs revealing significant construction activity on the site in October, the court initially determined this constituted a potential case of contempt.

During its most recent hearing, the court noted with displeasure that Commissioner Ranganath had not appeared in person, instead filing a petition requesting exemption from attendance.

The Division Bench rejected this request, emphasizing that his personal presence is mandatory to account for the alleged deliberate disobedience of court orders.

AV Ranganath heads HYDRAA, an agency responsible for public property protection and disaster management in the city. Recently, the agency has faced multiple contempt petitions and judicial criticism regarding its procedural compliance in land-related actions.