logo
Contempt of court: Five IAS officers appear in Madras High Court, seek apology

Contempt of court: Five IAS officers appear in Madras High Court, seek apology

CHENNAI: Five IAS officers, including three senior officers, of the state government appeared before the first bench of the Madras High Court led by Chief Justice KR Shriram on Thursday in connection with a contempt of court case and sought unconditional apology.
The court had pulled up the officials for disobeying its orders to relocate a school run by a Christian institution from a land belonging to the Devanatha Swamy Temple at Koothapakkam village in Cuddalore district.
As per an order of the court, the officers — P Amudha, who is presently Additional Chief Secretary, Revenue Department; S Madumathi, Secretary, Differently-Abled Welfare Department; B Chandra Mohan, Principal Secretary, School Education Department; PN Sridhar, Commissioner, Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR & CE) Department; and Sibi Adithya Senthil Kumar (Cuddalore Collector) — along with two other officers of HR & CE Department appeared before the court on Thursday.
They apologised to the HC for failing to comply with the order to relocate St. Joseph Matriculation Higher Secondary School functioning at Koothapakkam from the temple land. The court accepted their submission.
School's counsel says allotted site lacks infra, located near quarries
The HC action follows a contempt petition filed by S Vinoth Raghavendran, state secretary of BJP's Spiritual and Temple Development Wing, seeking action against the officers for not obeying the court orders. Regarding the relocation of the school, Additional Advocate General J Ravindran informed the court that 4.73 acres of land was already allotted to the school at Bhuvanagiri Taluk in Cuddalore district.
However, senior counsel Father Xavier Arul Raj, representing the school, submitted that the land was not suitable for running school as the site lacked infrastructure facilities like roads, and quarries are being operated around the place. He wanted the court to direct the government to allot land within 5-km radius of the school.
The bench directed the school management to submit a fresh representation to the government for allotment of alternative site.
A division bench in 2024 had granted six-month time to the HR&CE department to comply with another order to provide land to the school at an alternative site at Bhuvanagiri Taluk for shifting the institution. Alleging inaction, the petitioner filed the contempt plea.
Madras HC recalls Rs 1 lakh fine order
Chennai: The Madras HC recalled an order imposing Rs 1 lakh cost on J Kumaragurubaran, Chennai Corporation Commissioner, for disobeying order to crack down on building plan violations after the official appeared before the court and tendered apology
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Khandu unveils transformative initiatives to mark Arunachal's 50 years of statehood
Khandu unveils transformative initiatives to mark Arunachal's 50 years of statehood

The Print

time12 minutes ago

  • The Print

Khandu unveils transformative initiatives to mark Arunachal's 50 years of statehood

The initiatives, which form part of the state's Golden Jubilee vision, are designed to leave a lasting impact on the lives of citizens across all sections of society. In a message shared on social media, Khandu highlighted a series of landmark projects and schemes that reflect the state government's focus on education, healthcare, women's empowerment, rural electrification, and youth development. Itanagar, Jul 28 (PTI) Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Monday unveiled a comprehensive set of development initiatives to commemorate 50 years of Arunachal Pradesh's statehood, describing the occasion as 'not just a celebration, but commitment in action'. Among the major announcements is the establishment of 50 Golden Jubilee Model Schools with a total investment of Rs 500 crore, aimed at transforming education at the grassroots. Alongside infrastructure development, the government has also introduced the Golden Jubilee Merit Award, which will provide financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh to students securing admission into top-tier institutions such as IITs, IIMs, AIIMS, and national law universities (NLUs). Further promoting inclusive development, Khandu announced the launch of the Golden Jubilee Daughters scheme, under which every girl child born in the state and fully immunised will receive Rs 50,000. 'It's a step towards dignity, health and empowerment,' Khandu said in a post on X, emphasising the importance of supporting girls from birth through proactive state intervention. Rural and border area development also featured prominently in the Golden Jubilee roadmap, with Khandu announcing that 50 micro-hydel projects will be set up under the Golden Jubilee Border Village Illumination initiative. These projects are expected to bring sustainable electricity to remote border villages, thereby improving the quality of life and boosting local livelihoods. 'We are lighting up lives and livelihoods,' Khandu said. To strengthen healthcare infrastructure, the chief minister also revealed that 60 Primary and Community Health Centres (PHCs and CHCs) across the state will be upgraded under the Golden Jubilee Health Mission, enhancing medical access in far-flung and underserved areas. 'As we mark 50 glorious years of Arunachal's statehood, we're not just celebrating a milestone, we are building the future,' Khandu said, adding that these initiatives reflect our commitment to creating a more inclusive, empowered, and self-reliant Arunachal. The initiatives underscore the state government's long-term vision of development and inclusivity, ensuring that the celebrations go beyond ceremonial events and translate into tangible progress on the ground. PTI UPL UPL RG This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.

Pahalgam attack mastermind, two others killed in encounter with security forces near Srinagar
Pahalgam attack mastermind, two others killed in encounter with security forces near Srinagar

New Indian Express

time19 minutes ago

  • New Indian Express

Pahalgam attack mastermind, two others killed in encounter with security forces near Srinagar

The mastermind behind the Pahalgam terror attack was among three Pakistani terrorists killed in an encounter in Srinagar under Operation Mahadev, sources said. Top Lashkar-e-Taiba commander Suleiman Shah, also known as Musa Fauji, was identified as the key conspirator and executor of the attack, which left 26 civilians – mostly tourists – dead. Suleiman, who previously served in the Pakistan Army, had a bounty of Rs 20 lakh placed on him by the Jammu and Kashmir Police following the Pahalgam terror attack. Security sources confirmed that he was killed in a gunfight near Srinagar on Monday morning, reported NDTV. Operation Mahadev also resulted in the elimination of two other terrorists – Abu Hamza and Yasir. "Three terrorists have been neutralised in an intense firefight. Operation Continues," Srinagar-based Chinar Corps of the Army had earlier posted on X.

After Surjewala review, Siddaramaiah to hold four-day meetings with Congress MLAs
After Surjewala review, Siddaramaiah to hold four-day meetings with Congress MLAs

India Today

time27 minutes ago

  • India Today

After Surjewala review, Siddaramaiah to hold four-day meetings with Congress MLAs

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will begin a four-day series of marathon meetings with Congress MLAs starting Tuesday, July meetings come soon after a key review session with AICC General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala, prompting the Chief Minister to draw up a tight district-wise schedule to hear out grievances and push forward development meetings will be held over the next four days, with Siddaramaiah allotting 30 minutes to an hour per district depending on the number of On Day 1, Siddaramaiah will meet MLAs from six districts, Mysuru, Chamarajanagar, Tumakuru, Kodagu, Hassan, and Dakshina Kannada, along with their respective district in-charge meetings kick off at 5.00 pm with MLAs from Siddaramaiah's home district of Mysuru. Attending the session will be Mysuru District In-charge Minister HC Mahadevappa, Animal Husbandry and Sericulture Minister K Venkatesh, and MLAs Ravishankar D, Anil Chikkamadu, Darshan Dhruvanarayan, K Harish Gowda, and Tanveer from 5.00 pm to 5.30 pm, the Chief Minister will engage with MLAs from Chamarajanagar, including AR Krishnamurthy, C Puttarangashetty, and HM Ganesh Prasad, along with District In-charge Minister K Tumakuru session is scheduled from 5.30 pm to 6.45 pm. It will be attended by Home Minister and Tumakuru District In-charge Minister G Parameshwara, Cooperation Minister K N Rajanna, and MLAs T B Jayachandra, K Shadakshari, H D Ranganath, S R Srinivas (Vasu), and H V final session for the day, from 6.45 pm to 7.45 pm, will cover Kodagu, Hassan, and Dakshina Kannada districts. Kodagu will be represented by District In-charge Minister NS Boseraju and Chief Minister's Legal Advisor AS Ponnanna, along with Dr. Manthar Hassan, K M Shivalingegowda and others will attend, with K N Rajanna serving as district in-charge. The Dakshina Kannada delegation includes Dinesh Gundu Rao, Speaker U T Khader Fareed, and Ashok Kumar meetings are seen as a crucial trust-building exercise following the party high command's recent intervention. Sources say Siddaramaiah is keen on resolving local issues and speeding up stalled development initiatives. The Chief Minister has already released Rs 50 crore in grants recently, signalling intent to back words with action.- EndsTune InMust Watch IN THIS STORY#Karnataka

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store