Madras HC sentences ex-SDRO to one-month imprisonment
The judge found the SDRO Kancheepuram as guilty and sentenced her to imprisonment of one month and dismissed the petitions against other
Madras High Court (File)
CHENNAI: The Madras High Court (MHC) sentenced the ex-Special District Revenue Officer (SDRO) to one month of imprisonment for not complying with the MHC order and fraudulently awarded compensation to the wrong person in acquiring OSR (Open Space Reservation) land for the National Highway project.
While pronouncing the final order Justice R Suresh Kumar observed that the SDRO Kancheepuram Narmada found guilty and sentenced her to one-month imprisonment in civil prison.
Further, the judge observed that other petitions against other respondents are dismissed.
The judge observed that the people would lose hope in the judiciary if the officials are not punished when they are not complying with the court orders.
Petitioner R. Rajendran filed a case in 2020, against the then Kancheepuram collector P.Ponniah, Narmadha, Special District Revenue Officer, and three others.
The petitioner claimed that the SDRO Kancheepuram wrongly awarded the compensation for acquiring OSR land for the purpose of the Chennai-Bangalore highway project.
The land was acquired from two villages such as Nemili and Ayakolathur between 2018-2020, said the petitioner.
The total disbursement was Rs.20 crore was awarded to the wrong person who was not the landowner, with fraudulent documents, contended the petitioner.
The SDRO Kancheepuram submitted that the compensation disbursed to the non-entitled party is inadvertence and not intentional.
The single judge of the MHC directed the SDRO Kancheepuram to settle the money to the entitled land owner. However, the petitioner yet again moved the MHC contending that the respondents are not settled the compensation, non-complying with the court order.
The respondent submitted that the compensation was disbursed to the entitled person and expressed an apology before the court.
The judge found the SDRO Kancheepuram as guilty and sentenced her to imprisonment of one month and dismissed the petitions against other
respondents.
It may be noted that the CB-CID is probing a case related to the compensation.
