Chennai: The Madras high court has directed Ramesh, the tahsildar, Avinashi, Tiruppur district, to appear before the court on September 20 in connection with a contempt of court case.
Passing orders on a contempt petition filed by D.Prabakaran, an agriculturist, a division bench comprising Justices T.S.Sivagnanam and V.Bhavani Subbaroyan said the counsel for the petitioner submitted in the affidavit filed in support of the contempt petition that the third contemnor Ramesh, tahsildar, hatched a plan to murder the petitioner with the help of sand mafia under the guise of asking him to come to the spot of illegal mining, which the petitioner immediately complied along with news reporters. It is further submitted that the tahsildar did not come to the spot, but a gang of people had beaten up the petitioner with deadly weapons.
“The tahsildar has not filed any counter affidavit on the said allegation, nor there is any record placed before us denying such allegation. Therefore, we direct Ramesh, tahsildar, Avinashi, to be present before this court on September 20,” the bench added.
Originally, Prabakaran filed a petition against illegal mining, which was done by sand mafia allegedly in collusion with the officials, in the river bed of Kowsika river. The high court had granted an interim injunction restraining the persons from taking sand in the river bed and further directed the officials not to issue any permits. Despite, this interim order, in the guise of silt removing, an order was passed by the authorities.
Hence, he filed a contempt petition against the Tiruppur district Collector Govindarajan, Executive Engineer, PWD Natarajan and Ramesh, tahsildar.
According to petitioner, the sand mafia allegedly in collusion with the officials, hatched a conspiracy to murder him and in connivance with the police officers, taken him to the Anuparpalayam police station, where he was tortured. An FIR was registered against him stating that he attempted to throw kerosene bomb at a lorry used for transporting sand. When the police produced him before the magistrate in Tirupur for remand, he showed the injuries caused to him. The magistrate refused to remand him and directed the police to take him to the hospital. Subsequently on a petition filed by him, the case was transferred to the CBCID, which after completing the investigation recommended departmental against 21 government officials. But, action was taken only against 2 PWD officials, he added.
After perusing the report, the bench said the government advocate does not have instructions as to what action has been taken against the other officials of the government against whom, departmental action has been recommended. Full details have to be placed before this court on September 20, the bench added.
