Chennai: A senior IAS officer has been found guilty of contempt of court and directed to undergo simple imprisonment for one month.
The Madras High Court, however, suspended the sentence of Anshul Mishra until he could prefer an appeal before a Division Bench of the court.
In a landmark ruling, Justice P Velmurugan directed the Madras High Court Registry to secure custody of the former Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) Member Secretary and make him undergo the sentence if he does not appeal within a period of 30 days.
Mishra, with over 20 years of experience in various roles, was also directed to pay a compensation of Rs 25,000 to two elderly petitioners, siblings R Lalithambal and KS Viswananthan, who had been struggling for years to retrieve their valuable immovable property which was acquired for a public purpose but not used for the same.
The amount is to be deducted from Mishra’s salary or personal funds, and a failure to pay the specified amount will result in an additional 10 days of imprisonment.
Justice Velmurugan, miffed with government authorities for taking two years to comply with a court order, which asked for a decision within two months, stated, “This court notes with concern that such conduct by public authorities is not an isolated incident.”
He added, “In numerous cases, it is seen that poor and aggrieved litigants, after approaching public authorities for redressal of genuine grievances, are forced to approach the constitutional courts for directions. Even after judicial intervention, the concerned authorities, for reasons best known to them, either delay or altogether ignore compliance, compelling the litigants to resort to contempt proceedings for enforcement of their rights.”
The judge said such defiance by public officials was wrong and also challenges the fundamental principles of justice and the need to uphold rule of law, reported The Hindu.
The contempt proceedings stem from a prolonged legal battle over 17 cents of land in Chennai’s Nesapakkam, acquired in 1983 for constructing Tamil Nadu Housing Board tenements. Part of the land was returned to the petitioners after years of litigation. In a 2023 order, the court directed CMDA to review the remaining land acquisition and respond within two months.
However, Mishra – who is currently Managing Director of the Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board — failed to comply with that order before his transfer in February 2025.