New Delhi, May 6 -- The Supreme Court on Tuesday held an Andhra Pradesh Deputy Collector guilty of contempt of court for demolishing slum-dwellers' huts in violation of a High Court order.
A bench comprising Justices B.R. Gavai and A.G. Masih strongly criticised the officer's defiance and warned of serious consequences, including imprisonment and loss of service benefits.
The officer, who carried out the demolition while serving as a Tahsildar, appeared before the court but refused to provide an undertaking to accept a demotion to the rank of Deputy Tahsildar a proposal the apex court had considered as a lenient punishment.
Justice Gavai expressed disappointment at the officer's lack of remorse, saying, "We wanted to save his career. But...