HYDRAA Commissioner Ranganath Gets Relief From HC Single Bench Removal Order

HYDERABAD: In a major legal relief for the state administration, a Division Bench of the Telangana High Court on Tuesday set aside an earlier single-bench order that had directed the state government to immediately replace Senior IPS officer A.V. Ranganath as the Commissioner of the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA).

The legal battle stemmed from a single-bench verdict issued by Justice Jukanti Anil Kumar during contempt proceedings linked to a land dispute with Shanta Sriram Constructions in Lothkunta. The single judge had severely criticized HYDRAA’s demolition drive, observing that the agency had violated prior court directions, and urged the Chief Secretary to transfer Ranganath to preserve the rule of law.

Challenging the decision through an appeal, Ranganath and the state government argued before the Division Bench that the commissioner had operated within the agency’s mandated authority to protect public lands and lakes, and that the order for his removal exceeded the scope of the original proceedings.

Accepting the grounds of the appeal, the Division Bench stayed and annulled the single-bench directions regarding Ranganath’s transfer, paving the way for him to continue at the helm of HYDRAA and carry forward its anti-encroachment operations across the Hyderabad Metropolitan Region.