Contempt of Telangana High Court: Excise head apologises

HYDERABAD: Director of Prohibition and Excise, Sarfaraz Ahmad tendered an apology to the Telangana High Court in a contempt case filed by Enforcement Directorate against Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar. The contempt case was heard by CJ Bench. 

Earlier this month, the High Court issued notices to the Chief Secretary and Excise director in the contempt case and sough replies on charges levelled against them. The excise officials failed to furnish all the details sought by the ED, though the High Court, in a PIL filed by the then TDP MLA A Revanth Reddy in 2017, seeking a detailed probe in the Tollywood drugs case. 

The Excise Department informed to the court that it had supplied all the necessary documents to ED. The Standing counsel of ED sought two weeks time to inform court as to whether or not it received all papers from Telangana government or not. 

Though the High Court directed the Telangana government to co-operate in the investigation being carried out by ED, the State has not furnished the required data records and other material, forcing ED to file a contempt case against the Chief Secretary. Director Prohibition and Excise Sarfaraz Ahmad filed a counter affidavit, stating that in compliance of the directions of the High Court, all records pertaining to 12 FIRs, comprising 828 pages of documents, have been sent to the ED. He further stated that with regard to call data records, that all 12 investigation officers in their reports have informed this office that the call data records of accused were not obtained by the officers. The Supervisory Officer of the SIT has also informed that after verification of files of all 12 cases files, it is found that no call data recordings of the accused are obtained by the investigating officers. 

Stating that he had no intention whatsoever to disobey the orders of the High Court, he informed that additional time was taken to furnish the records as he had called for reports from various officers and case files had to be examined minutely so as to ensure that no document/detail is missed out. He also said that as he was deputed to New Delhi between February 26 and March 8, 2022 to co-ordinate the return of Telangana students from Ukraine and also the second meeting of eighth session of Telangana Legislative Assembly was held from March 7 to 15, 2022, there was some delay in furnishing the information. That the delay of a few days in providing the records to the ED was entirely due to administrative reasons, the respondent herein tenders an unconditional apology for the delay caused in implementation of the order of the court, he submitted.

ED files contempt case against CS
Though the HC directed the Telangana government to co-operate in the ED investigation, the State has not furnished the required data, forcing ED to file a contempt case against the CS