India News | AP High Court Punishes 8 IAS Officers for Contempt

Amaravati, Mar 31 (PTI): In an unprecedented event, a judge of the Andhra Pradesh High Court on Thursday sentenced eight senior officers of the Indian Administrative Service to two weeks imprisonment, holding them guilty of contempt of court, but remitted the punishment following an unconditional apology tendered by them.

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Instead, as agreed by them, the judge asked the eight IAS officers to undertake social work by visiting welfare hostels on any Sunday in a month, for 12 months, and “spend some time with the students to motivate them and arrange lunch or dinner (a sumptuous meal) by spending their personal money.”

“The contemnors gave an oral undertaking (to do social work) and it is placed on record,” Justice Battu Devanand said in the order.

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“The apology tendered by the contemnors is accepted and the punishment is remitted. If any contemnor failed to fulfil the undertaking, the Registry shall reopen the contempt case and place before the Court,” Justice Devanand said.

Each officer has been assigned a district for taking up the social work as part of the punishment.

The case pertains to construction of village and ward secretariat offices, rythu bharosa kendras and health centres on the premises of government, mandal and zilla parishad and municipal schools.

On a writ petition, the High Court had in June 2020 issued an interim order directing the authorities concerned not to take up any construction activity that affects the healthy atmosphere of the schools.

In subsequent months, two more writ petitions were filed wherein the petitioners complained that construction activity unconnected with the schools and the students was on.

When the case came up for hearing in July 2021, the court observed that barring two, the other respondents in the case did not file counter-affidavits even after lapse of one year.

The court came to an opinion that the respondents wilfully violated the (June 2020) order and on its own initiated contempt proceedings.

“There is wilful disobedience in implementing the order in true spirit. As such, the respondents are found guilty of contempt of court and they are liable for punishment under the provisions of the Contempt Court Act, 1971,” Justice Devanand said in the order on Thursday. “It is clear that in total 1371 schools the Village Secretariats and other constructions/activities are being undertaken, which are not related to education and the schools. It is also proved from the averments made in the affidavits that they (officers) did not take any steps to implement the order till initiation of suo moto contempt case by this Court,” the judge observed. “Due to deliberate violation of the orders of the court, the poor students who are studying in Government and local body schools suffered. This Court never expected such lethargic and lawless behaviour from the senior officers of All India Service. This is unfortunate and regrettable,” Justice Devanand remarked.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)