Two police officials, including a DSP, were today held guilty of contempt of court by the Madras High Court and slapped with a fine of Rs 750 for disobeying its order on providing protection to a elderly woman whose land was sought to be grabbed.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Kumbakonam Suyambu and Sub-Inspector Vijaya of Kumbakonam Taluk Police Station should undergo simple imprisonment for two days if they failed to pay the fine, the court ordered.
Justice M Venugopal agreed with petitioner K Thenmozhi that the two officials had deliberately and wilfully disobeyed the order of the high court to provide protection to her despite agreeing to do so.
As a result, two persons R Raman and R Lakshmanan harassed the petitioner with the help of unruly elements, cut trees in her house site and started construction work, the court noted.
The petitioner had sought a direction by the court to the DSP to provide her protection, complaining that the two persons were trying to take over the house site in Elumichangapalayam in Kumbakonam taluk which belonged to her ancestors. She was living there for 70 years.
Since 2012, Raman and Lakshmanan started giving trouble for her, though she obtained permanent stay from the local munsiff court also from interfering with her possession.
During the hearing of the petition, the court directed police to file a counter. Later, the police agreed to provide protection for her but they did not.
The petitioner then filed the present contempt plea submitting that the police had committed glaring contempt of court and need to be punished for it.
