High Court stays demolition of Nagarjuna's N Convention Center

HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court has issued interim orders halting the demolition of the N Convention Center in Madhapur, owned by popular actor Akkineni Nagarjuna.

The decision came after Nagarjuna approached the court, seeking relief against what he described as an illegal demolition process initiated by the current government.

Justice T. Vinod Kumar, who presided over the hearing, granted temporary relief to Nagarjuna, stopping the ongoing demolition activities. The petition filed by the N Convention management highlighted several key issues, including the legality of the demolition and the lack of proper notice.

According to the petition, Nagarjuna purchased the land on which the N Convention Center was built several years ago, relying on the survey records available at the time. The construction of the center was completed between 2010 and 2012. However, the controversy began when the previous government issued notices claiming that the land fell within the boundaries of a nearby lake, specifically within the Full Tank Level (FTL) zone.

In response to these notices, Nagarjuna approached the High Court in 2014, agreeing to deposit ₹9 crore and to make necessary modifications to the structure if the government's claims were validated. The High Court had then issued a stay on the government's orders, emphasizing that no demolition could proceed without proper notification, especially since the FTL had not been officially notified at the time.

Despite this stay being in effect, the current government initiated the demolition process without issuing any fresh notices, as claimed in Nagarjuna's petition. The petition also noted that around 200 police personnel were deployed for the demolition, which was carried out under heavy security, further highlighting the alleged irregularities in the process.

Given these concerns, the High Court intervened once again, issuing interim orders to halt the demolition.