Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Monday sentenced two irrigation department officials, a police sub-inspector and a private contractor to prison and levied a penalty for committing contempt of court by not implementing its orders.
Justice M.S. Ramachandra Rao sentenced T. Venu, superintendent engineer, irrigation, at the Kaleswaram project division in Gajwel, and Thoguta, Siddipet district, sub-inspector S. Srinivas Reddy to undergo simple imprisonment for two months and pay Rs 2,000 as penalty.
The judge also sentenced G. Badri Narayana, executive engineer, of Kaleswaram project of the Gajwel division, and B. Srinivasa Reddy, project manager of a private contractor, to three months of simple imprisonment and Rs 2,000 penalty.
The court was dealing with the two contempt petitions filed by Ms Asharla Balavva and seven others, agriculture labourers at Thoguta of Siddipet, urging the court to punish the authorities deliberate violation of court orders.
They said that the court had directed officials not to take possession of land and not to carry out construction activities for the Komaravelli Mallannasagar reservoir.
The court had directed officials to allow agriculture operations to continue till the land is procured under GO 123 and resettlement and rehabilitation measures are provided to the oustees.
Despite this, contractors started work on the reservoir, the petitioners said.
When they went to stop the work, the police personnel threatened them. Considering the petitions, the court appointed an advocate commissioner to visit Thoguta and file a report.
The advocate commissioner confirmed the initiation of project work.
The work was stopped but resumed again. Aggrieved by this, the petitioners filed another contempt petition on which Justice Ramachandra Rao passed orders.
