3 weeks ago
Telangana High Court Issues Contempt Notices Over Salkam Cheruvu Encroachment
There is a big lake in Hyderabad called Salkam Cheruvu.
Some people built a school and other buildings where the lake used to be.
The judges had already said that all of this land belongs to the lake.
Some important government officers were supposed to check what happened and tell the judges.
But a lawyer named Vijay Gopal says the officers did not do their job correctly.
He says they even changed the map of the lake to make it look smaller.
This would make the buildings seem like they are not in the lake.
The judges were not happy about this.
They sent a special notice to the officers, which is a warning for not obeying the court.
The judges will talk about this again on August 11.
The Telangana High Court issued contempt notices to five senior officials in the Salkam Cheruvu encroachment case in Hyderabad.
The notices went to special chief secretary Jayesh Ranjan, HYDRAA commissioner A.V. Ranganath and principal secretaries Yogitha Rana, E. Sridhar and Lokesh Kumar.
Petitioner and advocate Vijay Gopal alleged officials withheld facts and failed to submit detailed inquiry reports despite court orders of April 30.
Officials were accused of misleading the High Court on July 9 by filing Memo USR 8 of 2026 redrawing the lake's full tank level.
Courts had previously declared the entire extent of Survey No. 62 as government lake land; the High Court posted the matter to August 11.
- Who
- The Telangana High Court; senior officials Jayesh Ranjan, A.V. Ranganath, Yogitha Rana, E. Sridhar and Lokesh Kumar; petitioner and advocate Vijay Gopal; and Salaar-e-Millat Educational Trust, founded by AIMIM MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi.
- What
- The court issued contempt notices over alleged failure to comply with orders and suppression of information in the Salkam Cheruvu lake encroachment case involving alleged illegal constructions in the lake bed.
- Where
- Telangana High Court; Salkam Cheruvu at Bandlaguda, Hyderabad, Telangana.
- When
- Notices were issued on Friday; the matter was posted to August 11.
- Why
- Officials allegedly failed to submit detailed inquiry reports and filed a memo redrawing the lake's full tank level despite earlier judicial rulings that the entire Survey No. 62 is government lake land.
Petitioner's Position
Officials' Position
Extent of Salkam Cheruvu Lake Land (Survey No. 62)
Petitioner's Position
Courts have already ruled that the entire extent of Survey No. 62 is government lake land, so the memo redrawing the full tank level contradicts final judicial findings and creates a false impression that constructions are outside the lake.
Officials' Position
Memo USR 8 of 2026 asserted that portions of Survey No. 62 lie outside the full tank level, implying that some of the schools, colleges and other constructions are not within the lake bed.
Compliance with Court Orders
Petitioner's Position
Officials failed to submit detailed inquiry reports on permissions granted to the educational institutions and action against erring officials despite the April 30 orders, and suppressed earlier judicial findings during the July 9 proceedings.
Officials' Position
The article does not present the officials' own response; they face the allegation that they misled the High Court when producing the memo during the July 9 hearing.
Key facts
- Court
- Telangana High Court
- Subject
- Salkam Cheruvu encroachment at Bandlaguda, Hyderabad
- Action Taken
- Contempt notices issued to five senior officials
- Petitioner
- Advocate Vijay Gopal
- Institution Involved
- Barrister Fatima Owaisi Educational Campus KG PG (Salaar-e-Millat Educational Trust)
- Key Document
- Memo USR 8 of 2026 redrawing the full tank level
- Prior Court Order
- April 30 (detailed inquiry reports ordered)
- Next Hearing
- August 11
Quotes
Vijay Gopal
Advocate and petitioner in the Salkam Cheruvu encroachment case
““These facts ought to have been disclosed before the High Court by the said officers, but (they) filed Memo USR 8 of 2026 asserting that portions of Survey No. 62 were outside the FTL despite earlier judicial findings to the contrary.””
deccanchronicle.com
Sources
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