Hyderabad, September 1: The Telangana High Court has temporarily stayed a single judge’s order that directed the state government to remove A.V. Ranganath, the commissioner of the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRA), from his position. This decision came on Tuesday, providing relief to Ranganath, who had challenged the order by filing a petition on July 27.
The case was brought before a division bench, where former Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court, Rajeev Shakdhar, represented Ranganath. After hearing initial arguments, the bench issued a temporary stay on the single judge’s ruling.
On July 27, Justice Anil Kumar Jukanti had instructed the Chief Secretary to remove Ranganath from his role as HYDRA commissioner and appoint a suitable replacement. This order stemmed from a contempt petition filed by Shanta Sriram Constructions Private Limited, which accused HYDRA officials of violating court orders by encroaching on their 40 acres of land in Lothkunta with 50 vehicles and 200 employees.
The court noted that Ranganath had become “arbitrary in his actions,” and that HYDRA was operating beyond its jurisdiction while disregarding the Revenue, Irrigation, and GHMC departments. In a previous hearing, the court had sternly reprimanded the HYDRA commissioner, warning that repeated violations could lead to his detention in military custody.
Ranganath was instructed to submit an affidavit apologizing for the unauthorized entry of HYDRA staff and machinery onto the disputed property, as well as for erecting a fence without the petitioner’s consent. However, he failed to file the affidavit and did not appear for the hearing, prompting Justice Jukanti to express strong objections and direct the government to remove him from his post.
The court also observed that there were 63 pending contempt petitions against Ranganath over the past year and a half. Following the order, Ranganath stated that he would legally contest all 63 contempt cases and expressed full confidence in the judiciary. He alleged that these cases were filed by influential encroachers who were negatively impacted by HYDRA’s efforts to protect lakes and government lands.
Ranganath claimed that land mafias and encroachers were misleading the court with false information. He affirmed, “Regardless of the responsibilities assigned to me by the government, I am committed to delivering 100% results and will continue to do so.” An Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, Ranganath has been at the helm of HYDRA, an agency established by the state government two years ago.
In the past two years, HYDRA has claimed to have saved 3,315 acres of government land worth ₹1.5 lakh crore and restored several water bodies. The agency reported that it has reclaimed and secured lakes, drains, parks, government lands, and blue-green resources. However, opposition parties have criticized HYDRA’s operations, accusing the agency of demolishing homes of the poor built on government land.
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