Telangana High Court orders replacement of HYDRAA Commissioner AV Ranganath over repeated contempt of court

HYDERABAD: In a significant development with far-reaching implications for Telangana’s anti-encroachment drive, the Telangana High Court on Monday directed the state Chief Secretary to relieve IPS officer AV Ranganath from his position as Commissioner of the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) and appoint a suitable replacement. The court expressed serious concern over what it described as repeated violations of judicial orders and the Commissioner’s conduct in multiple contempt proceedings.

The direction was issued by Justice Jukanti Anil Kumar while hearing a batch of contempt petitions arising out of a land dispute involving a 40-acre property at Lothkunta in Secunderabad. The petitioners alleged that HYDRAA officials entered the disputed land and carried out fencing despite subsisting High Court orders restraining any coercive action.

Rejecting an unconditional apology submitted by Ranganath, the court observed that an officer facing around 63 contempt cases during his tenure could not continue to head the agency. The judge noted that repeated disregard for judicial directions undermines the rule of law and directed the Chief Secretary to immediately identify and appoint another officer to lead HYDRAA.

The order follows a series of stern observations made by the High Court over the past week. During earlier hearings, the bench had sharply criticised HYDRAA for allegedly violating court orders and had even indicated that it could seek Army assistance to protect the disputed property after expressing a loss of confidence in the State machinery. That direction was later deferred after the Advocate General assured the court that there would be no further interference with the land.

The controversy centres on allegations that HYDRAA officials entered private land despite explicit judicial restraint orders. The court repeatedly questioned why the agency continued to act in disregard of legal directions and stressed that even agencies created for public interest must function strictly within the framework of the law.

HYDRAA was established by the Telangana government in 2024 to protect government land, lakes, parks and other public assets while strengthening disaster response and urban flood management. Under Ranganath’s leadership, the agency has undertaken several high-profile demolition and land recovery drives across Hyderabad, earning public support in many instances for reclaiming encroached public land. However, its operations have also generated legal challenges, with property owners and petitioners alleging excesses and violations of due process in certain cases.

Monday’s order marks one of the strongest judicial interventions against HYDRAA since its formation and is expected to have significant administrative and legal implications for the agency’s future functioning. The state government is now expected to act on the High Court’s direction by appointing a new commissioner while the contempt proceedings and the underlying land dispute continue before the court.