Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court has directed the exclusion of a 3.09-acre portion of land in Survey No. 83 of Bachupally of Hyderabad from the ambit of an earlier interim order that had resulted in restrictions on transactions in a land ceiling case.
Survey No. 83 spreads across 17.3 acres in Medchal Malkajgiri district. Jagirdar Zulfiqar Ali, stated to be the owner, sold the entire land parcel to three people in 1966 through a registered sale deed. Controversy emerged after the implementation of the Agriculture Land Ceiling Reforms.
One of the purchasers, Venkatramaiah, declared ownership of about 116 acres of patta land. During ceiling proceedings, authorities determined that nearly 27 acres constituted surplus land. Of this surplus extent, 5.25 acres fell within Survey No. 83. The surplus land was taken over by the government in 1976, but litigation over the ceiling proceedings continued for decades through various courts and appellate forums.
A third party claimed rights over 6.25 acres in Survey No. 83 on the basis of a simple, unregistered document allegedly executed on March 30, 1970. Subsequently, records were allegedly created showing the issuance of certificates under Sections 13-B and 13-C in 1989 and 1992 respectively. However, the third party ‘s name could not be incorporated into revenue records because the land in Survey No. 83 stood in the names of the purchasers who had acquired title through registered sale deeds.
The dispute became more complicated when revenue authorities allegedly removed the name of Venkatramaiah from certain records and entered the name of the third party. Passbooks were also reportedly issued. The land subsequently changed hands multiple times.
In April 2025, the Telangana High Court issued an interim order passed restraining transactions in several survey numbers, including the 17.3 acres in Survey No. 83. A legal heir of one of the original purchasers contended that her 3.09-acre share had no connection with the ceiling surplus land and had been wrongly included within the restricted area.
According to the applicant, the land belonged to the late Nimmagadda Ramanatham, who had purchased portions of the property through registered sale deeds and a sada bainama (white paper agreement). Following a family settlement and subsequent succession, the applicant inherited the said parcel of land in Survey No. 83. Her title and possession were reflected in revenue records and online pahani entries, and the land was distinct from the ceiling-surplus land involved in the proceedings.
The court directed the registry to amend the April 10, 2025, order by deleting the applicant’s 3.09 acre land from the ceiling proceedings. The High Court granted liberty to the applicant to submit a representation under Section 22-A(4) seeking removal of the property from the prohibited list. The revenue authorities were directed to consider such an application and pass appropriate orders in accordance with law within three months from the date of its submission.
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