HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court sentenced former Karimnagar municipal corporation commissioner K Shashank to one-month simple imprisonment in a contempt case on Tuesday. The IAS officer has also been directed to pay a fine of Rs 25,000. The petitioner in the case, Punna Kour alias Punna Bai, 77, sought action against Shashank for wilfully disobeying the court’s orders.
In 2014, she approached the high court, challenging the corporation, which demolished her house and shops in Karimnagar, to widen a road. She alleged the officials didn’t follow due procedure, and did not provide any compensation.
In 2015, the court directed the then Karimnagar municipal commissioner Shashank to allot shops to her within three months, or provide compensation. When this was not done, the court directed it to pay the petitioner Rs 25,000. Since the officials failed to implement the court’s order, the petitioner filed the present contempt case. The judge, however, suspended the sentence for six weeks to let the officer file an appeal.