Hyderabad: The Telangana high court on Tuesday imposed costs of Rs 5,000 on every delayed counter-affidavit filed by the state govt in a batch of over 20 petitions relating to a 5.11 acre land at Kondapur.A division bench comprising Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice GM Mohiuddin granted the govt three additional weeks to file the counters. The bench made it clear that no counter affidavit would be entertained by the registry after Jan 9, 2026, and that any inadvertently accepted thereafter would be returned. The court directed that the costs, which would exceed 1 lakh, be paid to the Telangana legal services authority. During the hearing, state counsels sought further time to file the counter affidavits. The bench noted that despite being granted a final opportunity in Oct, the govt had failed to comply, leading the court to express its displeasure. The bench further directed that written arguments be filed by Jan 30, 2026. It also instructed the registrar (judicial-I) to thoroughly review the status of pleadings and written submissions by the first week of Feb 2026, organise them with proper page numbering, and place them before the bench. These directions were issued while hearing a public interest litigation and a batch of petitions challenging a GO alleged to be in violation of the provisions of the Telangana Religious, Hindu Religious Institutions and Endowments Act. The matter was adjourned.
