HC issues non-bailable warrant against DRO for absconding

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court ordered a non-bailable warrant against a District Revenue Officer (land acquisition), Kancheepuram, for not appearing before the judge and absconding in a contempt petition filed for the non-compliance of the court order.

Justice M Dhandapani passed the direction on hearing the contempt petition filed by R Rajendran. The petitioner prayed for taking action against the former Kancheepuram collector P Ponniah, the DRO Narmada, Tahsildar Meena, and other authorities for not complying with the February 10, 2020 order of the HC to ascertain the ownership of some OSR lands in the Sriperumbudur area acquired for a road project.

The petitioner claimed that his lands were acquired by the NHAI for the Chennai – Bengaluru highways project. However, a few people claimed ownership of the lands and sought compensation from the collector by furnishing fake documents.

Though the court passed orders to ascertain the ownership of the lands and to grant compensation to the rightful person, the orders were not implemented by the authorities, according to the contempt petitioner.

On November 11 while hearing the matter, the judge summoned the respondents including the Collector, DRO, and Tahsildar. Since all the respondent officers appeared before the court except the DRO on November 17, the judge asked the Additional Advocate General the reason for the absence of the DRO.

Additional Advocate General submitted that the second respondent DRO is absconding and this court may issue a non-bailable warrant against the DRO.

Recording the submissions, the judge directed the HC Registry to issue a non-bailable warrant against the second respondent, and “the same has to be executed through the concerned jurisdictional Superintendent of Police. The second respondent shall be produced before this Court on November 28,” the judge held.

The court further asked the district collector to file a final compliance report and adjourned the matter to November 28.