HYDERABAD: Expressing its anger, the Telangana High Court on Thursday issued a contempt notice to former GHMC Commissioner Lokesh Kumar and other officials for violating its orders by disregarding proper procedure in the demolition of unauthorised constructions at the Deccan Kitchen Hotel in Filmnagar.
The hotel, owned by Daggubati Venkatesh, Suresh, and Rana Naidu, was being maintained by K Nandu Kumar, the prime accused in the BRS MLAs poaching case. The tenant of the hotel is M/s W3 Hospitality Pvt Ltd, with Nandu Kumar and others as directors.
Despite the High Court’s interim orders, dated November 11, 2022, to the GHMC to refrain from coercive action against the unauthorised construction without hearing the contentions of the owners and tenants, GHMC staff proceeded with the demolition on November 13, 2022, a Sunday.
It is worth noting that the Supreme Court had earlier made it clear that authorities should not carry out demolitions and evictions on Sundays.
Considering this incident as contempt of court, the court summoned Lokesh Kumar and other GHMC staff to appear before it. Lokesh Kumar failed to appear initially, but after being given a final chance, he appeared before the court and claimed ignorance of the court orders issued on November 11.
He also stated that the GHMC staff made a mistake in identifying the property to be demolished, which had court orders against it. Lokesh Kumar also justified the demolition being done on a Sunday, citing the busy location of the hotel and the obstruction of traffic flow during the weekdays.
Justice Kanneganti Lalitha, hearing the case, criticised the assumption of the State machinery that courts should consider whatever the officials say. The judge accused Lokesh Kumar of displaying arrogance and disregarding court orders, stating that the demolition incident showcased the officials’ adamant attitude in ignoring procedures.
Justice Lalitha questioned Lokesh Kumar about his knowledge of the court case’s status through standing counsel before the demolition took place. The judge also enquired about the number of demolitions against illegal constructions during Lokesh Kumar’s tenure and how many were conducted on Sundays.
The judge said that the demolition displayed the arrogance of the officials, especially when they disregarded court orders, while many pending cases were not acted upon due to the alleged lack of police protection. The court observed that such actions conveyed the impression that officials can act with impunity, causing the common people to lose faith in the judicial system.
If it is proven that GHMC officials were colluding with the Daggubati family to demolish the hotel and hand it over to them, the court stated it would consider invoking contempt charges against Venkatesh, Suresh, and Rana. The court asked counsel for Nandu Kumar to submit video evidence of the demolition to establish its duration, the presence of police personnel, and individuals associated with the property owners.
The court warned Lokesh Kumar and GHMC officials that it would not hesitate to pursue contempt proceedings if the video evidence contradicted their contentions and adjourned the case for two weeks.