Telangana High Court Directs Authorities To Ensure Mudiraj Community Members Are Not Subjected To Social Boycott In Nizamabad's Ramanappet

The Telangana High Court has directed Tahsildar, Velpur Mandal, to ensure that the members of Mudiraj Community are not subjected to social boycott in Ramannapet village of Nizamabad district.

The members of the Mudiraj community had earlier approached the court, alleging that their entire community of about 300 families was being socially boycotted by the Village Development Committee (VDC). They contended that VDC was mining sand, and consuming liquor in the premises of a temple.  It was alleged that when the community objected to the same, the VDC called for their social boycott.

In an earlier proceeding, the secretary of DLSA, Nizamabad, submitted a report on the matter before a vacation bench stating that even though there was no boycott of the community by the revenue or police officials, the VDC had "high-handedly" called for boycott against the community. “After enquiry I came to the conclusion that the village development committee are highhandedly boycotting the Mudiral community people at Ramannapet Vlllage of Velpur Manal, Even though the police and the revenue officials declared that there is no such boycott, practically the boycott ls stlll continuing," the court was told.

On July 05, the Chairman of the VDC appeared before court and submitted that the petitioners had built a pre-cast compound wall around the Peddamma temple land, which was allotted to the community and had restricted the entry of not just the members of that village, but the members of the neighbouring villages as well who come to visit the temple.

If the petitioners do not lock the gate and keep the gate open all the time and remove sign board erected in the premises, then there will not be any law and order issues in the village, the Chairman VDC and Tahsildar told the court.

Advocate Ramesh Chilla, arguing on behalf of the petitioners, contended they were allotted 5 acres of land in the Velpur Mandal decades ago, upon which they constructed the Peddamma temple. He also argued that the boycott was not due to construction of the wall, but it was due to the sand quarry and operation of belt shop.

During the hearing, Justice Vijaysen Reddy asked Bondla Rajesh, a member and representative of the community, who was present in the court, whether he would undertake, on behalf of the entire community, to leave the gates to the premises open at all times (between 6 am to 7 pm). Rajesh undertook to ensure the same.

"In the circumstances, petitioners are directed to keep the gate open from morning 6:00 a.m to evening 7:00 p.m and forthwith remove the sign board erected in the premises," the court ordered.

While issuing a direction to the Tahsildar, the court said: "At the same time, respondent No.4 is directed to ensure that miscreants do not enter into premises and do not utilize the premises for conducting immoral activities and for consuming liquor and for dumping the soil and also further ensure that petitioners and members of Mudiraj Community are not subjected to social boycott."

While the matter was listed again for hearing on July 19, it could not be taken up.

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