The Telangana High Court has sentenced former Kosgi Municipal Commissioner C. Shashidar to one month’s simple imprisonment in a contempt case involving the demolition of a private property in Narayanpet district. The court also imposed a ₹1,000 fine, while suspending the sentence for four weeks to allow him to pursue an appeal.
The case concerns a property belonging to R. Muralidhar, who approached the High Court after municipal authorities moved to demolish a structure on his land. The court had issued an interim order on May 22, 2019, restraining authorities from demolishing the property.
According to the petitioner, the structure was nevertheless demolished using excavators in February 2024. The property, measuring about 198.61 square yards, reportedly contained a tin shed used for an ice-cream parlour, online centre and storeroom.
Shashidar told the court that the land belonged to the Sericulture Department and that the structure had been removed following departmental communications concerning alleged illegal construction on government land. He also said he was unaware of the High Court’s earlier order and submitted an unconditional apology.
The High Court rejected the explanation and held that administrative instructions cannot override a subsisting judicial order. The court emphasized that public authorities must comply with court directions or approach the court for clarification or modification before taking action.
The four-week suspension of the sentence gives the official time to seek an appeal against the order. The ruling has drawn attention to the legal obligations of municipal and other public authorities when judicial orders are in force.
The ruling highlights the legal responsibility of public authorities to follow judicial directions. While municipal bodies have powers to regulate construction and act against alleged violations, those powers have to be exercised consistently with orders issued by constitutional courts.
The case also underlines the importance of ensuring that court orders are properly communicated across administrative departments and to officials involved in field-level enforcement. A violation of a judicial order can lead to individual accountability when a court finds that an officer knowingly disregarded its directions.
According to another report, the High Court also dismissed the contempt case against the Kosgi Tahsildar in connection with the same matter, distinguishing the allegations and circumstances applicable to the different respondents.