Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Tuesday, October 6, pulled up state officials for sitting on its orders and warned that any officer seeking exemption from appearing before it on flimsy grounds would face an arrest warrant the same day.
Justice CV Bhaskar Reddy was particularly displeased that Chief Commissioner of Land Administration (CCLA) D Lokesh Kumar had sought to be excused from a hearing because he was accompanying a minister on an official tour.
“If such an exemption petition is filed again, it would be rejected the same day and an arrest warrant would be issued,” the judge said, adding that court cases should not be taken lightly.
The court was hearing a contempt petition filed by M Vijayasimha Reddy of Musarambagh in Hyderabad and others, who alleged that the government had delayed refunding Rs 45.10 lakh they paid as land conversion charges despite a court order.
Rs 45 lakh refund
The petitioners own over 7 acre at Korremula in Ghatkesar mandal of Medchal-Malkajgiri district. They had applied to convert the land from agricultural to non-agricultural use and paid Rs 45,10,550 through e-challans on July 11, 2023.
In December 2024, the High Court directed the CCLA to examine the district Collector’s report and, if the petitioners were not eligible for conversion, return the money within two months.
When the refund did not come, the landowners moved the court again. Justice Reddy noted that officials had not acted on its directions even after notices were issued, which had led the court to issue bailable warrants against them at an earlier hearing.
“It is not your money. It is the petitioner’s money. You have no right to keep it even for a single day,” the judge told the officials.
Official appears virtually
When the case was taken up on Tuesday, the government pleader told the court that the CCLA could not be present as he was on tour with a minister. After the court refused to grant the exemption, Lokesh Kumar appeared through video conference and informed the bench that the Finance Department had processed the payment and the amount had been credited to the petitioners’ bank accounts.
Taking the submission on record, the court closed the contempt case, saying no further action was needed.
It, however, directed that its orders be communicated to the departments concerned and senior officials, and cautioned that delays in carrying out court directions could invite serious consequences. The judge also asked government pleaders to properly brief officers on court cases and the need to implement judicial orders on time.
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