Justice T Mathivanan said he was only censuring Inspector Mohandass in view of his official position, family background and career, though he had committed an offence under the Contempt of Court Act and was liable to be convicted under it.
On March 22, the judge had passed orders on a complaint from a financier that Swarna had failed to repay a substantial amount of money she had borrowed from him, and directed police to arrest her and put her behind bars to suffer the remaining period of sentence, within four weeks.
The judge had also made it clear he would take a very serious view of any deviation.
The financier alleged that Mohandass had not complied with this order even after a lapse of several months and filed the contempt application to punish the then City Police Commissioner J K Tripathy and Mohandass.
He cited a Supreme Court judgement which said if the police authority, meant to enforce law and order, safeguard public interest and justice, besides obeying the court's order did not do so, then the public would not be able to get real justice and it would remain a mockery.