SC rules in favour of Greyhounds Commando Force in land dispute case

In an important judgement, the Supreme Court on Tuesday declared ownership of about 200 acres land in Telangana's Ranga Reddy district would stand transferred in favour of specialised Greyhounds Commando Force.

Giving a quietus to a dispute pending since 1994, a bench of Justices Surya Kant and J K Maheshwari invoked its power to do complete justice under Article 142 of the Constitution to hold the the subject land in its entirety would be vested in the state government and its ownership and possessory rights, free from all encumbrances, would stand transferred in favour of the Greyhounds.

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The court also ruled that the lands earlier allotted on temporary basis to several persons were transferred in contravention of the provisions of the Andhra Pradesh Assigned Lands (Prohibition of Transfers) Act of 1977, which prohibited transfer of land assigned to landless poor people.

"We are not oblivious to the fact that the parties have been litigating since the year 1994. During these decades, the subject land has acquired enormous value. Some of the documents on record do indicate that land mafia has already ousted the gullible assignees and now have vulture’s eyes on the land," the bench said.

The court also noted additionally, a security agency of paramount national importance currently occupied it in public interest and used the land for training purposes.

The top court also restrained any civil court or High Court from entertaining any claim on behalf of any assignee, their legal representative, GPA holder or any other claimant under any agreement to sell or other instruments, claiming direct or indirect interests in the subject land.