Hyderabad, Jul 27 The Telangana High Court on Monday ordered the replacement of HYDRAA Commissioner A V Ranganath, rejecting an apology offered by him over a matter of contempt of court.
The court urged the state government's Chief Secretary to find a suitable replacement of the officer as early as possible.
"Having arrived at the conclusion based on the material on record, and that the reasons…this court is of the considered opinion, that the Commissioner HYDRAA should be relieved of the post, as observed, the contemptuous nature of the acts of omission and commission are apparent," Justice Anil Kumar Jukanti said.
If the officer is permitted to continue in the post of Commissioner HYDRAA (Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency), the court is of the considered opinion that the "rule of law will be at peril", the court said.
In fact, the court had warned and observed in an earlier contempt matter with regard to the officer, yet he has not shown any restraint, it said.
The court was dealing with an affidavit with an apology filed on Monday by the HYDRAA Commissioner in connection with contempt petitions moved against him by a private company, alleging violation of court orders.
"... the present facts and circumstances of the case, the facts on record demonstrate that, there was an order by this court, an assurance was made to this court, yet the assurance given was broken down. In other words, disobedience is apparent and it amounts to contempt of court," the Judge said.
It pointed out that as many as 63 contempt cases are pending against the HYDRAA Commissioner in courts.
The Judge rejected the apology offered by the officer saying it should have been offered at the earliest opportunity.
Citing a Supreme Court order, the Judge said if the apology is offered at the time when the contemnor finds that the court is going to impose punishment, it seizes to be an apology.
The facts in the present case cannot be unconnected to the observations made by the apex court, he said.
It was only when the High Court had expressed its displeasure, the apology was expressed and the contemnor (HYDRAA Commissioner) came forward to apologise, he said.
The High Court on July 24 directed the HYDRAA Commissioner to file a detailed affidavit with an apology on July 27 (Monday) in connection with three contempt petitions moved against him by a real estate company, alleging violation of court orders.
The court gave the directive while hearing the contempt petitions filed by the company over the 40-acre land claimed by it in Lothukunta village near here.
The court, on July 23, ordered deployment of army personnel to protect the land, but kept it in abeyance. That order would be considered after an affidavit is filed on July 27, it said.
In one of the contempt petitions, the company recently alleged that the officers of HYDRAA have been repeatedly trespassing its property.
Following this, the court on July 23 ordered that army personnel be posted at the site, with the directive to take the HYDRAA staff into custody and present them before it, along with their vehicles, if they try to venture into the property of the company.
