New Delhi, May 6 (UNI) The Supreme Court on Tuesday held an Andhra Pradesh Deputy Collector guilty of contempt of court for demolishing slum-dwellers’ huts in violation of a High Court order.
A bench comprising Justices B.R. Gavai and A.G. Masih strongly criticised the officer’s defiance and warned of serious consequences, including imprisonment and loss of service benefits.
The officer, who carried out the demolition while serving as a Tahsildar, appeared before the court but refused to provide an undertaking to accept a demotion to the rank of Deputy Tahsildar a proposal the apex court had considered as a lenient punishment.
Justice Gavai expressed disappointment at the officer’s lack of remorse, saying, “We wanted to save his career. But if he is not willing, we can’t help. This shows what attitude he must have had toward the High Court’s orders.”
In a scathing remark, Justice Gavai told the officer, “When you took 80 policemen to demolish people’s houses, you didn’t remember God?” The court observed that it was considering his children’s future in trying to avoid sending him to jail, but his continued obstinance left no choice.
Justice Gavai said, this can’t go unpunished. After warning of High Court, if someone indulges in this thing…howsoever high one be, is not above law. We can’t permit orders of our High Courts to be treated in such a contemptuous manner. We won’t let go of this without punishment.
The court gave 10 minutes’ to Senior Advocate Devashish Bharuka to take instructions from the petitioner.
Justice Gavai said, “Try to convince him. We don’t want to…If he is adamant, we can’t help. His attitude is very clear.”
Petitioner still fails to accept what’s falling from the Court. Justice Gavai said and added “We will pass such stringent observations against him that no employer will dare to employ him. He is a director of protocol. He must be thinking he is close to government.”
Justice Gavai said, “We are never such harsh, but here we can read between the lines. His adamancy speaks volumes. If he remains adamant, we will not only dismiss, we will also ensure that he is not reinstated. We could not have been more lenient.
Justice Masih said, ” It’s only his children and his future we are thinking about.”
Justice Gavai said, “He has thrown people out of their houses. We don’t want to be like him. We quite see that he must be under the impression that he would get reinstated.”
On Bharuka’s request, the matter was listed on Friday.
Justice Gavai said, ” Let him go to jail. We will not let go without punishment.
At the request of Senior Advocate Devashish Bharuka, who is representing the officer, the matter has been posted for further hearing on Friday, giving the officer one last chance to reconsider his stance.
