Hyderabad: Telangana High Court issued a stern warning to Hydraa Commissioner AV Ranganath after he missed a hearing in the contempt case linked to the Batukammakunta land dispute. As a result, the court ordered him to appear on December 5 and said a non-bailable warrant would follow if he skipped the date again.
Earlier, on June 12, the bench had barred any change to a private plot in Batukammakunta through interim orders. However, petitioner Edla Sudhakar Reddy said the Commissioner ignored those directions. Therefore, he filed a contempt petition seeking action for the alleged breach.
During Thursday’s hearing, the court reviewed its earlier direction that required the Commissioner to attend in person. Yet he stayed away. Consequently, the judges expressed strong displeasure and said his absence showed disregard for judicial authority.
Court stresses clarity of orders in Batukammakunta land dispute
The bench noted that the interim orders in the Batukammakunta land dispute case were direct and easy to follow. Moreover, it warned that any officer who overlooked them would face strict action. It also said personal presence was essential in contempt matters.
Finally, the court stated that AV Ranganath must appear before the deadline. Otherwise, he would face “serious consequences,” as the court expected full cooperation from senior officials in such cases.