Hyderabad, March 18 : The Telangana High Court on Tuesday imposed a heavy fine of Rs 1 crore on a petitioner for misleading the court.

Petitioner Venkatrami Reddy was directed to pay the fine for concealing information about previous cases on the same matter.

Justice Nagesh Bhimapaka delivered the verdict after he found that Venkatrami Reddy tried to mislead the court by not sharing the details of the previous cases.

He claimed ownership of 9.11 acres in Kandikal village in Bandlaguda mandal in Hyderabad district. The petitioner complained to the High Court that officials were not registering the land in survey numbers 310/1 and 310/2 in his name. Arguing the case, his counsel Kandagatla Dheeraj sought court directions to the revenue officials to register the land in his name.

The petitioner's counsel also brought to the court's notice that the Bandlaguda tehsildar wrote a letter stating that the registration of the land would not be allowed. The court was urged to pass orders to officials to allow registration and a sale deed in respect of the said land.

However, the government counsel informed the court that the survey numbers mentioned by the petitioner do not exist in Kandikal village. The court was told that the numbering in the village ends at 309/5. It was alleged that the petitioner was trying to encroach on the government land by creating fake documents.

The government counsel also brought to the court's notice that Venkatrami Reddy's father had earlier filed two similar petitions regarding the same land and later withdrew them. The petitioner did not mention this fact anywhere in his affidavit.

The court agreed with the government counsel's argument that the petitioner was attempting to grab government land through false documentation and had withheld crucial information about ongoing legal disputes.

Justice Bhimapaka ruled that the petitioner misled the court and wasted judicial time. For this, the judge imposed a fine of Rs 1 crore on the petitioner.

/IANS