HC Summons Senior Officials For Violating Land Row Order

HYDERABAD: A division bench of the Telangana High Court, comprising Chief Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice Bollam Vijaysen Reddy, on Monday, summoned GHMC commissioner Lokesh Kumar, the Hyderabad district collector and the land acquisition officer on July 31 for violating court orders in dispossessing Mulgi owners of their properties in Shalibanda, without following the court orders.

The High Court had directed revenue officials and GHMC to follow norms for land acquisition, but the two bodies evicted the Mulgi owners, following which they approached the court against the officials and filed a contempt case.

The bench also faulted the practice of the state government and the government pleaders office in representing officers facing contempt cases for violating court orders.

Recalling a 1996 direction by the Supreme Court, Chief Justice Ujjal Bhuyan observed that officers should hire their advocates in contempt cases and questioned how government pleaders could appear for officers who have failed to fulfil their duties.