Telangana HC notices to Chief Secretary, Naveen Mittal in octogenarian’s pleas

Justice N. Tukaramji of Telangana High Court on Thursday (June 19, 2025) issued notices to senior IAS officer Naveen Mittal and three others in a criminal petition filed by an octogenarian Shanti Agarwal seeking a direction to set aside a trial court order which kept in abeyance criminal action against four of them.

The petitioner, represented by her son Atul Agarwal, wanted the HC to dismiss the order of the 12th Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate. The trial court passed the order in a case filed by Shanti Agarwal to take cognisance of the charges against the IAS officer and three others in a land related matter. According to the petitioner, she purchased an evacuee property of 5,262 square yards of land in Nanalnagar of Gudimalkapur in Hyderabad in 1965.

She contended that IAS officer Naveen Mittal in 2011 while serving as Hyderabad district Collector gave No Objection Certificate to some persons unconnected to the said land. She claimed that she had moved the HC which dismissed the NOC issued by Naveen Mittal and recommended disciplinary action against Mittal and some other Revenue officials accused of involvement in issuing the NOC.

Meanwhile, the trial court passed an order keeping in abeyance the action of taking cognisance of the charges against the IAS officer and others. Challenging this, the petitioner filed criminal petition.

In a related development, Justice K. Lakshman of the HC issued notices to the Chief Secretary, Naveen Mittal and R. Keshavulu (Inspector in Land Survey and Records department) in a writ petition filed by Shanti Agarwal. In this petition, she sought a direction to Chief Secretary to prosecute Naveen Mittal and R. Keshavulu in the backdrop of a single judge order to initiate disciplinary action against them.

The petitioner contended that she represented to the Chief Secretary to prosecute Naveen Mittal in the backdrop of the HC single judge pronouncing order to initiate action against him in issuing NOC over her land at Nanalnagar.

Published - June 20, 2025 09:12 am IST