HYDERABAD: Finding Hydraa chief A V Ranganath guilty of contempt for wilful disobedience of court orders in connection with Bathukammakunta at Amberpet, Telangana high court has directed the authority to remove every structure from the lake area. This includes compound walls, gates, signages, and any other installations put up by Hydraa that indicate ownership or development of the land.The case stems from a petition filed by A Sudhakar Reddy, who has been contesting ownership of a seven-acre stretch of land that was allegedly merged into the lake. The contempt proceedings were initiated in 2025 after Hydraa reportedly carried out lake rejuvenation works despite clear court orders to maintain status quo on the disputed land.Although the order was issued on March 17, it was made public on Monday.Examining the issue of punishment, the bench comprising Justice Moushumi Bhattacharya and Justice BR Madhusudhan Rao, took the view that conventional penalties would fall short. A fine, the court observed, would be inadequate for such a contumacious violation, while imprisonment would be excessive and, more importantly, ineffective in restoring the petitioner’s rights while the civil dispute remains pending. Allowing the contemnor (Ranganath) to benefit from actions found to be illegal, the court stressed, would be untenable. “Imposition of fine for contumacious violation of the order is too less, while imprisonment is too harsh,” the bench stated, adding that imprisonment would not serve the purpose of reparation or restoration of rights until the civil petition is decided. Shifting the focus from punishment to repair, the court invoked the principle of restitutive justice and directed that the land be restored to the position it was in on June 12, 2025. The bench noted that its directions were framed with practical feasibility in mind, ensuring that compliance would not place the petitioner in a worse situation than at present. Although the bench decided against a “mindless physical unearthing of the land to avoid further logistical issues for the petitioner,” it issued strict directions to remove all signs of Hydraa’s presence.Accordingly, Hydraa has been directed to remove any gates, compound walls, or boundaries that restrict access or create the impression that the land is a managed public space. It has also been restrained from imposing entry rules or designated timings, thereby eliminating any suggestion that it has authority to regulate access to the land.The authority has been given four weeks from March 23 to complete the process and must submit a compliance report to the court. The matter has been posted for further hearing on April 27.
