Officers violating court orders liable for punishment: Telangana HC
Hyderabad: Justice C.V. Bhaskar Reddy of the Telangana High Court made it clear that any officer who disregards court directions will be liable for punishment. No excuses would be accepted if willful disobedience to the court orders was proved, he said.
The judge was dealing with a contempt case filed by A. Murali Mukund, ex-secretary of the Jubilee Hills Co-operative House Building Society against M. Haritha, commissioner of co-operation and registrar of the co-operative societies, for delaying the inquiry report on alleged irregularities, including transferring property of the society by the managing committee of the society in defiance of High Court orders.
He brought to the notice of the court that the commissioner had neither disclosed the inquiry report details to the members nor had he furnished the inquiry report before the court. In fact, she requested the court to dismiss the contempt case against her.
However, the judge stated that she cannot escape from the contempt proceedings under any vague pretext. Justice Bhaskar Reddy observed that she should have complied with the orders before the contempt was filed and said that she was liable for punishment. But, Mohana Reddy, the government counsel informed the court that Haritha has been transferred from the said post, and therefore could not furnish the inquiry report.
The judge said that the court will go into the details of her transfer and other merits and punish the officer, if it was proved that she had violated court orders.