Did Rana Daggubati, family 'illegally' demolish Hyderabad hotel? Controversy explained
What's the story
Prominent Telugu actor Venkatesh Daggubati and his nephew-actor Rana Daggubati, along with two other family members, are facing legal action over the alleged illegal demolition of Deccan Kitchen Hotel in Hyderabad's Film Nagar. A person named Nanda Kumar claimed a financial loss of ₹20 crore due to the demolition of the property he had leased from the Daggubatis. The other family members named in the case include Rana's father D Suresh and his brother Abhiram Daggubati.
Legal dispute
Demolition controversy and financial loss claims
The controversy started with the demolition of Deccan Kitchen Hotel in January 2024, a property reportedly leased to Kumar. He moved the court alleging the demolition was done despite an existing injunction from the City Civil Court and against Telangana High Court orders. Kumar alleged this action caused him a financial loss of ₹20cr. Acting on his complaint, a local court directed police to investigate.
Past controversies
Kumar's legal history and property disputes
Notably, Kumar has a history of legal troubles, including alleged MLA poaching in 2022. In November 2022, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) demolished portions of Deccan Kitchen Hotel and adjacent buildings built by him, calling them unauthorized constructions. This prompted the Telangana High Court to seek an explanation from GHMC in July 2023 and direct the civic body to maintain the status quo on the property.
Accusations
Allegations of forced entry and damage by Daggubatis
Kumar also accused the Daggubati family of forcibly entering the premises and causing significant damage, allegedly with the help of anti-social elements. He claimed that despite court injunctions, they continued to threaten his employees and resumed attempts to demolish the property. This included an incident that took place on November 13, 2022. Meanwhile, on a professional front, Rana was last seen in Vettaiyan alongside Rajinikanth. He also famously backed the award-winning All We Imagine as Light.