Contempt plea against TNHB MD moved

Originally, the lands were sought to be acquired by the authorities, but the proceedings were later quashed by the MHC following a plea moved by the land owners.

Justice M M Sundresh before whom the contempt plea moved by D Sampath Kumar and 107 others came up for hearing, posted it after two weeks, after government advocate took notice on behalf of TNHB.

Petitioner’s counsel K Parameswari submitted that the acquisition proceedings initiated by the government in 1992 had been quashed by the MHC on November 10, 2000.

Subsequently, on realising that the Special Tahsildar had failed to issue NOC to show that their lands were released from acquisition, because TNHB alone can issue the NOC, had approached TNHB. But with several representations to TNHB failing to evoke any response, the petitioners had approached MHC, which had on March 28, 2017 directed the Board to issue NOC to the petitioners within 8 weeks.

However, since the board had failed to comply with the direction of the court, which amounts to wilful disobedience of the order of court, the petitioners have filed the present contempt petition, Parameswari added.