HC orders police to bring Medchal Collector to court

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court has directed police to produce Medchal-Malkajgiri Collector Manu Choudary before it on Wednesday, November 25, after he sought yet another exemption from appearing in a land contempt case, this time citing election work.

According to The Times of India, Justice CV Bhaskar Reddy passed the order on Wednesday, November 11, directing the Malkajgiri Police Commissioner to ensure the collector’s presence at the next hearing.

The judge made it clear that being busy was no defence. The Collector’s explanation about his preoccupation with official duties, he said, “does not constitute sufficient ground to dispense (exempt) with his presence,” especially when the court had specifically ordered him to appear in person.

Choudary had cited election-related duties, the special intensive revision of electoral rolls and other administrative assignments. The court has already excused him from physical appearance twice.

On Tuesday, October 27, it had ordered him and the concerned revenue divisional officer (RDO), who is also the Land Reforms Tribunal, to explain the factual and legal position and the procedure followed in taking possession of the land. Instead of complying, he asked to be excused again. “This court is not inclined to accept the reasons assigned by him,” the judge said.

Ceiling land row at Bachupally

The contempt case arises from a petition by Koduru Arjuna Rao, whose roughly five acres at Bachupally were taken over by the government as ceiling land under the Telangana Land Reforms (Ceiling on Agricultural Holdings) Act, 1973. He has questioned how possession of the land was taken.

The court had earlier directed the collector to consider Arjuna Rao’s representations, inquire into the matter afresh and decide it. Arjuna Rao alleged that this was not done, and moved the contempt petition. The court has also asked the collector to appear and explain the procedure followed in taking over the land.

The matter will be heard next on November 25.

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