Telangana HC asks Ex-ADCP Jogaiah to do \'service\' at old age home for three months

Hyderabad: Making it clear to government servants to strictly obey the court orders, the Telangana High Court on Monday ordered retired additional DCP Jogaiah to do social service at an old age home for three months.

The court made it clear that those who ignore court orders and face ‘contempt of court’ proceedings will not be allowed to escape punishment even if they retire from the service. Jogaiah ignored court directions while he was in the service in 2010.

The court ordered that, for the coming three months, he spend every weekend in the Home for the Aged at Musheerabad. He must serve food to all the inmates of the old age home for two days and the administrators shall submit the details of time spent by Jogaiah there to the court.

A division bench of Chief Justice Hima Kohli and Justice Vijaysen Reddy was dealing with the appeal filed by Jogaiah, begging of the court to set aside the costs imposed on him in the contempt case.

The single Judge had, in 2010, imposed Rs.5,000 as costs against Jogaiah for his day-to-day interference in the internal issues of St. Joseph’s Educational Society at Domalguda, which runs several educational institutes, including the St. Joseph’s School at King Koti.

Challenging the punishment, a contempt appeal was filed by him in 2010. Since then, it has been pending.

His counsel requested the division bench to set aside the punishment and submitted that the official had retired five years ago and he had no intention to interfere in the civil disputes.

The CJ bench rejected the plea and observed that the contemnor was fortunate enough as the punishment was concluded with a fine only even as his service record was not clean.

Making it clear that the court won't spare any official of wilful disobedience of court directions, even if the employee was on superannuation, the bench directed him to participate in social service if he opts to avoid the contempt punishment.