The Madras High Court on Friday said that The Nilgiris District Collector, Commissioner of Ooty Municipality and two others must show cause by July 23 as to why appropriate orders may not be passed against them for committing contempt of court in a matter relating to unauthorised constructions in the district.
Besides L.S. Girija, Commissioner of the local body, and Archana Patanaik, District Collector, M. Soundararajan, Town Planning Officer, Ooty Municipality, and T. Haldorai, Superintending Engineer, TNEB, have been cited as respondents in the contempt petition.
The matter appeared to be very serious. The respondents who were government officials were flouting the orders and directions passed by this court in the writ petitions, the First Bench comprising Chief Justice M.Y. Eqbal and Justice T.S. Sivagnanam said in its order.
The Bench said it was giving one more opportunity to the Government Pleader to get instructions and direct the respondents to file show cause taking a specific stand as to why appropriate order may not be passed against them for contempt of court.
In the contempt petition, Elephant G. Rajendran, managing trustee, In Defence of Environment and Animals, T. Nagar, prayed the court to punish the contemnors for wilful disobedience of the court's order dated November 19 and December 4 of 2007, February 19, August 29, November 13 and 20 of 2008 in two writ petitions.
In its orders in the petitions, the High Court had ordered the demolition of unauthorised constructions and directed the TNEB and the water supply board to disconnect power and water supply to the structures. But the authorities did not take any action.
They wilfully disobeyed the court orders, the petitioner said.
