Authority: High Court of Andhra Pradesh at Amaravati (Special Original Jurisdiction)

Order Date: 14 August 2026

Case Overview

  • Petitioners: Mayuri Green Lands Residents Welfare Association (represented by President E. Prathap Reddy and General Secretary P. Maheswara Reddy) and individual purchasers – K. J. Reddy (Managing Director, Ragamayuri Builders), K. Udveli Venkata Rami Reddy, S. Sunil Kumar Reddy, and G. Mallikarjuna – each seeking protection of plots 428 and 474 in the Mayuri Green Lands layout, Lakshmipuram, Kurnool.
  • Respondents: The State of Andhra Pradesh (Principal Secretary, Municipal Administration), District Collector, Kurnool Municipal Corporation, Sub‑Registrar, Ragamayuri Builders Private Limited (via its Managing Director K. J. Reddy), and several individual respondents (K. J. Reddy, K. Udveli Venkata Rami Reddy, S. Sunil Kumar Reddy, G. Mallikarjuna).
  • Nature of Proceedings: Five writ petitions (Nos. 9661, 12157, 12676, 12678, 12714 of 2022) filed under Article 226 seeking a writ of mandamus to declare the registration of sale deeds dated 20‑Oct‑2021 and 28‑Oct‑2021 for open plots 428 and 474 illegal, to prevent dispossession, and to compel the municipal corporation to protect the land earmarked for public purposes (park and school).
  • Key Allegations: Respondent No. 4 (Sub‑Registrar) allegedly entertained and registered sale deeds for the open plots; Respondent No. 3 (Kurnool Municipal Corporation) failed to protect the plots. Petitioners argued that the plots are part of the layout’s open spaces, which under the Andhra Pradesh Gram Panchayat Building Rules 1972 and Municipal Corporation Rules 1965 must remain with the local authority for public use and cannot be sold.
  • Interlocutory Applications: Numerous IA’s (201‑2026) sought interim orders to stay registration, to prevent dispossession, to allow filing of counter‑affidavits, to record a compromise, and to amend party titles. The IA of 2025 seeking a compromise was dismissed.
  • Observations & Reasoning:
  • The layout, approved in 1971, spans 70.52 cents; plots 427, 428, 473, 474 were reserved for a school, well, park, and temple respectively.
  • The developer (Ragamayuri Builders) had no legal title over the open spaces and therefore lacked authority to execute sale deeds; any such deed is void ab initio.
  • Open spaces vest with the municipal corporation and must be maintained as lung spaces for residents; they cannot be leased, sold, or converted.
  • Supreme Court precedents (Bangalore Medical Trust vs M. Muddappa, Municipal Corporation Ludhiana vs Balinder Bachan Singh, Machavarapu Srinivasa Rao vs Urban Development Authority, Anjuman‑E‑Shiate Ali vs Gulmohar Area Societies) were cited, confirming that local bodies cannot alienate land earmarked for public purposes.
  • Gift deeds executed by the developer in favour of a Masjid and a Church do not confer title; the developer’s expenditure on such structures does not create ownership.
  • Directions Issued:
  • The registered sale deeds (Document Nos. 14985 2021, 15500 2021, 15501 2021, 15502 2021) are declared null and void.
  • Kurnool Municipal Corporation shall immediately protect plots 428 and 474, erect fencing and signboards, and allocate the necessary budget for developing the park and school.
  • No order as to costs.

Final Outcome

  • Writ Petition 9661 of 2022 is allowed; Writ Petitions 12157, 12676, 12678, 12714 of 2022 are dismissed.
  • All sale deeds concerning the open plots are declared void; the municipal corporation is tasked with safeguarding and developing the land for its intended public purposes.
  • The compromise application filed in 2025 is dismissed; all pending interlocutory applications stand closed.

Topics: Land Use Regulation, Public Purpose Land