Kancha Gachibowli row: Order probe into AI-fuelled image campaign, Telangana HC urged

The Telangana High Court has postponed the hearing regarding the alleged destruction of Kancha Gachibowli forest. The Forest Department requested the court to order a police investigation into a social media campaign using AI-generated images. HYDERABAD: A division bench of the Telangana high court on Monday deferred hearing in the destruction of Kancha Gachibowli forest for now.

Forest department has urged the court to direct police to investigate a vicious campaign unleashed by vested interests on social media by circulating AI-generated images of peacocks and deer running helter-skelter during the alleged destruction. A bench of Acting Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Renuka Yara directed the state, revenue, forest, and police departments to file their counters by April 24, the next date of hearing. The bench was hearing a batch of public interest litigations (PILs) filed by Vata Foundation, HCU Students Union and others, who questioned the clearing of the 400 acres in survey number 25 of Kancha Gachibowli for the state's ambitious IT infra hub.



Upon being briefed about the large-scale destruction of the area, the Supreme Court, it may be recalled, fumed at the state and stayed the whole process. It would hear the case again on April 16. Vata foundation, one of the petitioners, urged the high court to defer the hearing here as "the apex court is seized of the matter".

Senior counsel S Niranjan Reddy informed the HC bench that the apex court has directed the central empowered committee to study the area and report back. The chief secretary was also asked to file an affidavit before the Supreme Court on whether the state followed norms like environment impact study, obtaining the required permissions like environmental clearance, etc. Appearing for the forest wing, senior counsel Menaka Guruswamy stated that those opposing the project had resorted to a vicious campaign by creating AI-generated images of peacocks and deer being petrified.

The bench said it was open for all the departments to file their counters, status reports etc, and posted the case to April 24..