HC closes contempt proceedings initiated against then Vellore collector

CHENNAI: A Division Bench of Madras High Court had closed the contempt proceedings initiated against then Vellore district collector A Shanmuga Sundaram and other revenue officials for not taking steps to remove encroachment from a waterbody in Katpadi Taluk.

The division bench consisting of Justice PN Prakash and AA Nakkiran passed the direction on hearing the contempt petition filed by Sri Ramalu, a resident of the Vellore district.

The petitioner prayed for a direction to punish the officials who had failed to remove the encroachments from a water body in Katpadi.

“In 2020, the court directed the then revenue secretary Chandra Mohan, Vellore district’s former collector A Shanmuga Sundaram, Katpadi tahsildar Bala Murugan to remove the encroachments including agricultural activities and brick kiln were made on a waterbody within two weeks. The HC also asked the officials to do the restoration works of the concerned water body under the Kudi Maramathu case. The officials, however, did not take action to adhere to the direction of the high court,” the petitioner noted.

However, the government advocate informed the HC that the tahsildar had communicated his further course of action in connection with the removal of encroachment to the contempt petitioner.

Recording these submissions, the bench observed that they are disposing of the contempt petition granting liberty to the petitioner that if the petitioner was aggrieved with the issues mentioned in the communication letter made by the tahsildar, he could approach the competent authorities.