Forcible eviction and demolitions: Telangana HC gets victims' statements recorded by district judge, sets legal process in motion

HYDERABAD: Facing allegations of forcible evictions, Siddipet district collector Venkatram Reddy and RDO Vijayender Reddy appeared before the high court on Thursday in tune with a direction given by the court last week.
The bench of chief justice Raghavendra Singh Chauhan and Justice B Vijaysen Reddy was hearing pleas from the farmers of Bailampur and Mamidyala in Mulugu mandal of Siddipet district whose houses and land were acquired for constructing Kondapochamma reservoir which is part of the Kaleswaram irrigation project.
The farmers were given time till May 1 to vacate their houses and go to the rehab colony built by the state. The farmers complained that they were thrown prior to that and their houses were destroyed in contravention of the order of the court which clearly said their eviction should be preceded by their rehabilitation and payment of compensation. The bench grew serious last week and directed fourth additional district judge Sarita of Siddipet to record the statement of oustees under section 164 of CrPC.
The bench also sought a report from her along with the statements so collected. She furnished her reports along with the statements. Farmers are saying that they deposed against the collector and the RDO. In fact, according to the lawyer for farmers, recording the statements of oustees under section 164 itself will have serious consequences for the charged officials because this is fraught with setting the legal process in motion. The bench heard the unresolved accommodation issues raised by the farmers on Thursday and posted the case to May 13 stating that it would hold a comprehensive hearing on that day.