Karimnagar Police Commissioner V.B. Kamalasan Reddy and two of his subordinate officers were awarded six-month jail term by Telangana High Court here on Friday, holding them guilty of contempt of court.
The order was passed by Justice P.V. Sanjay Kumar who observed that the top police officer, Karimnagar ACP Thirupathi and Karimnagar Rural Inspector Shashidhar Reddy wilfully disobeyed the court orders. The officers were imposed a fine of ₹2,000 each and directed to deposit ₹10,000 towards exemplary costs to the State Legal Services Authority. The details of the punishment should be entered in the service records of the officers, the judge said in his order. However, the punishment order would be in suspension for four weeks facilitating the officers to go for an appeal on the matter.
Four years ago, the management of Pushpanjali Country Resort approached the HC alleging that police were not allowing its members to play rummy though it was legally allowed. The resort was located on Karimnagar outskirts in Theegalaguttapally village and owned by former legislator V. Jagapathi Rao’s family.
Subsequently, the judges passed an order directing the police not to interfere with the rummy game and the resort owner to install surveillance cameras to record entire recreational activities there. However, the order allowed police to enter the resort and stop if any illegal activity was reported.
Two years later, the petitioner came back to the HC alleging that police were repeatedly raiding the resort despite the HC orders. They told the court that police came in huge contingents and arrested several persons in violation of the court orders. Observing that the police action was not acceptable, the judge held them guilty of contempt of court and announced the punishment
