APHC010537252024 IN THE HIGH COURT OF ANDHRA PRADESH AT AMARAVATI (Special Original Jurisdiction) [3332] FRIDAY,THE TWENTY SIXTH DAY OF SEPTEMBER TWO THOUSAND AND TWENTY FIVE PRESENT THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE RAVI CHEEMALAPATI CONTEMPT CASE NO: 4474/2024 Between: 1. K. SOBHA RANI, W/O, K NAGASUBBA REDDY, AGED ABOUT 54 YEARS, R/O. FLAT NO.110, D.NO. 8-198 NEW BALAJI COLONY, TIRUPATI TOWN, TIMPATHI URBAN MANDAL, TIRUPATI DISTRICT. 2. KONERY MADHU SUDHAN REDDY,, S/O. K RAMACHANDRA REDDY, AGED ABOUT 49 YEARS, R/O. D.NO. 13-18, KONERUVANDLAPALLI VILLAGE, GK RACHAPALLI POST, T SUNDUPALLI MANDAL, ANNAMAYYA DISTRICT. 3. K GOVARDHAN REDDY,, S/O. NAGASUBBA REDDY, AGED ABOUT 29 YEARS, R/O. D.NO.8-198, FLAT NO.110, NEW BALAJI COLONY, TIRUPATHI TOWN, TIRUPATHI URBAN MANDAL, TIRUPATHI DISTRICT. ...PETITIONER(S) AND 1. NARAPUREDDY MOURYA IAS, S/O. NOT KNOWN TO THE PETITIONER. AGE NOT KNOWN TO THE PETITIONER. THE COMMISSIONER, TIRUPATHI MUNICIPAL CORPORATION, TIRUPATI, CHITTOOR DISTRICT. 2. SRI B RAMA MOHAN, S/O. NOT KNOWN TO THE PETITIONER. AGE NOT KNOWN TO THE PETITIONER, THE REVENUE DIVISIONAL OFFICER CUM LAND ACQUISITION OFFICER, TIRUPATI, CHITTOOR DISTRICT. ...CONTEMNOR(S): 2 Petition under Sections 10 to 12 of Contempt of Courts Act 1971 praying that in the circumstances stated in the affidavit file herein the High Court may be pleased to call the contemnors herein and to punish them under Sections 10 to 12 of the Contempt of Courts Act for willful disobedience and deliberately violating the orders passed by this Hon'ble Court in W.P. No. 4611 of 2024, dated 03-05-2024 and to pass IA NO: 1 OF 2025 Petition under Section 151 CPC praying that in the circumstances stated in the affidavit filed in support of the petition, the High Court may be pleased to implead the proposed respondents/contemnors no. 3 and 4as Respondents No. 3 and 4 in the above contempt case and in other miscellaneous petitions and to pass IA NO: 2 OF 2025 Petition under Section 151 CPC praying that in the circumstances stated in the affidavit filed in support of the petition, the High Court may be pleased may be pleased to implead the Proposed Respondents/Contemnors No. 3 and 4 as Respondents/Contemnors No. 3 and 4 in the above contempt case and' to pass Counsel for the Petitioner(S): 1. VENKATESWARA RAO GUDAPATI Counsel for the Contemnor(S): 1. SUBBA RAO KORRAPATI The Court made the following: 3 THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE RAVI CHEEMALAPATI CONTEMPT CASE NO: 4474/2024 ORDER: This Contempt Case is filed under Sections 10 to 12 of Contempt of Courts Act, 1971, for the willful disobedience of the orders dated 03.05.2024 passed in W.P.No.4611 of 2024. Heard Sri Venkateswara Rao Gudapati, learned counsel for the petitioners and Sri Subba Rao Korrapati, learned counsel for the respondents. 2. Learned counsel for the petitioners while reiterating the contents of the affidavit submitted that despite the direction of this Court the respondent authorities have illegally laid road in the petitioners’ property without following the due process of law either by giving compensation or acquiring the land by way of land acquisition proceedings. He further contended that the petitioners are willing to take compensation and it would suffice to direct the respondents to initiate steps in that regard in pursuance to Government memo dated 08.08.2024 and prayed to pass appropriate orders. 3. On the other hand, learned counsel for the respondents submitted that this Court cannot give any direction in that regard as the scope of contempt is very limited. Further, there is no willful disobedience on the part of the respondents as alleged by the petitioners. If at all the petitioners have any grievance with regard to payment of compensation, they have to approach the authority concerned with regard to the same, accordingly, prayed to dismiss the contempt. 4 4. Perused the record and considered the submissions made by both the counsel. 5. Aggrieved by the action of the respondent authorities in threatening them to lay road in their properties without following due process of law, the petitioners filed W.P.No.4611 of 2024. This Court, on 03.05.2024 disposed of the same directing the respondent Corporation not to interfere with the petitioners’ property except under due process of law. Later, Government of Andhra Pradesh, Municipal Administration and Urban Development (I) Department, issued a Government Memo vide memo No.2384478/I2/2024 dated 08.08.2024 to the Commissioner, Tirupati Municipal Corporation, Tirupati District, to examine the orders and take necessary action as per rules in force. This Court cannot give any direction to the respondents to initiate land acquisition proceedings in terms of the said memo as the Contempt Court’s jurisdiction is limited to determine whether the contemnor has willfully disobeyed the order of the adjudicating Court, and if so, to punish for civil contempt. As rightly contended by the learned counsel for the respondents, there is no willful disobedience on the part of the respondents as alleged by the petitioners. 6. In view of the above, since the petitioners have not satisfied the requirements of the contempt as mandated by the statutory provisions, this Court is not inclined to initiate contempt proceedings against the respondents, it is liable to be closed. However, to meet the ends of justice, this Court is inclined to give liberty to the petitioners to make a representation to the 5 authority concerned for payment of compensation to their respective lands by duly enclosing the memo dated 08.08.2024. 7. Accordingly, the Contempt Case is closed. There shall be no order as to costs. As a sequel, miscellaneous applications, pending if any, shall stand closed. _____________________________ JUSTICE RAVI CHEEMALAPATI Date: 26th September, 2025 RKS