Ex-GHMC chief incurs HC wrath for hasty demolition

HYDERABAD: Former GHMC commissioner D Lokesh Kumar, despite his repeated apologies, on Thursday incurred the wrath of the Telangana high court for demolishing a restaurant in Film Nagar in Hyderabad contrary to the restraint order passed by the high court.
Lokesh Kumar appeared before Justice K Lalitha under direction from the court in a contempt case filed by K Nandu Kumar who had taken the premise on lease from Tollywood producer Daggubati Suresh Babu and his actor brother Venkatesh.Nandu Kumar is an accused in the Poachgate case.
Following a complaint from Suresh Babu about unauthorised constructions on the leased premise without consent, the GHMC officials had demolished the structures. The demolition was carried out despite Nandu Kumar obtaining an order from the court directing GHMC officials not to take any coercive steps as a civil court was seized of the dispute between the owners and leaseholder.
After the demolition, Nandu filed a contempt case in the high court.
The court was particular about why the authorities chose a Sunday to demolish when the apex court directions state that authorities cannot resort to demolitions on holidays.
The former civic body chief informed the court that they chose Sunday as Film Nagar was a busy area, adding that he was not aware of the restraint order.
But the judge grilled him on why he has not shown the same enthusiasm when ordinary people complain about illegal structures. The judge did not believe his version and sought to know from him in how many cases he had ordered demolitions after the court ordered him to do so. The judge said that what Lokesh displayed was height of arrogance and that he has become so thick-skinned that even the court orders are unable to move him.
The former commissioner said that he had stopped demolition after coming to know about the restraint order.
During the course of hearing, the judge made it clear that she had no sympathy for the builders of illegal structures, but in a contempt case the court was concerned only about the violation of the court order by the authorities which was a far more serious offence.
The judge directed the petitioner to produce video evidence of the demolition and posted the case after two weeks. Lokesh and other contemnors were asked to appear again on that day.