HYDERABAD: In a significant development, the Telangana High Court has suspended a prior ruling that overturned the e-auction of 4.19 acres of land at Budwel, Rajendranagar, which was to be conducted by the HMDA. The court has allowed the HMDA to proceed with the auction while prohibiting the declaration of the highest bidder.
The division bench, comprising Justices Moushumi Bhattacharya and Gadi Praveen Kumar, issued this directive on Tuesday during an appeal by the state government challenging the single judge’s decision made in May 2025.
The bench also instructed the district collector of Rangareddy to address claims made by private individuals asserting ownership over the disputed land, as the single judge had ruled in their favor.
“HMDA shall not proceed with the e-auction regarding the subject property until two weeks after the district collector resolves the claims of the private parties,” the bench stated. The next hearing is scheduled for January 2026.
The judges remarked that the authorities had already exceeded the time frame set by the single judge and failed to act on the representations from private parties, not providing them with adequate notice or an opportunity to be heard.
The bench has mandated that the authorities conduct hearings and make decisions on the representations by December 12, and communicate their decision (along with reasons) by December 15. “The final decision on the e-auction shall only be made by the state authorities after December 31, 2025,” the bench concluded.
During the earlier hearing, Advocate General A. Sudharshan Reddy informed the court that the 4.19-acre land, part of a larger 281.61-acre parcel, is in a prime area valued at hundreds of crores. Any suspension of the e-auction could necessitate refunds to bidders, adding financial strain to the state.
In contrast, the counsel for the private claimants stated that following the single judge’s order, the authorities had issued notices for them to appear in June 2025. They appeared before the authorities, but no progress has been made since then. The bench acknowledged their submissions and adjourned the matter.
