Hyderabad: Telangana High Court ordered to replace HYDRAA Commissioner A.V. Ranganath. The High Court ordered the Chief Secretary to immediately replace HYDRAA Commissioner A.V. Ranganath for repeatedly flouting Court orders. Justice Anil Kumar Jukanti asked Chief Secretary Sanjay Jaju to identify a suitable officer to replace Ranganath as the head of HYDRAA.

The High Court issued the direction on a contempt case relating to a 40-acre parcel of land at Lothkunta involving a private construction company. The judge took note of the fact that as many as 63 contempt cases are reportedly pending against the HYDRAA Commissioner before the High Court during his one and a half year tenure.

The Court observed that it was inappropriate for a secretary-level official to commit contempt of Court. A private construction company had filed the contempt case relating to the land at Lothkunta. It accused the HYDRAA officials of entering the property and fencing it despite subsisting judicial restraint orders. The High Court had ordered Ranganath to tender an apology through a written affidavit by Monday. However, the counsel representing HYDRAA informed the Court that a petition would be filed shortly instead.

The Court took serious objection to this submission, pointing out that time had been granted until Monday specifically to file the affidavit, following the intervention of the Advocate General. It also voiced concern that the HYDRAA Commissioner had repeatedly failed to comply with judicial directions and undertakings given before the Court, despite earlier warnings.

Justice Anil Kumar observed that while HYDRAA’s mission to protect public assets is commendable, its powers must be exercised with restraint and in strict accordance with the rule of law.