Tahsildar asked to sit outside the Court Hall

The Madras High Court on Friday directed a woman Tahsildar to sit outside the court hall till evening after she failed to implement the court’s direction. 

In 2017, one Murugan had filed a petition before the High Court seeking directions to remove encroachments on a public road at Kadaladi in Tiruvannamalai district. While hearing the petition, the court had directed the Tahsildar to remove the encroachments within 12 weeks after conducting a proper inquiry. 

As the encroachments were not removed even after the stipulated time, the petitioner filed a contempt of court in 2018. When the petition came up for hearing, the Tahsildar assured to remove the encroachment within four weeks. However, it was not removed. 

Following the incident, the court found the Tahsildar, Latha, to be guilty and announced the date of verdict. The bench comprising Judge MN Bandari and Judge Bharatha Chakravarthy took up the case on Friday. 
During the hearing, the government counsel assured the court that the Tahsildar would remove the encroachment within three weeks and if imprisonment is imposed on the Tahsildar, her reputation would be spoiled in the society. 

Accepting the argument, the court directed the official to sit outside the court hall till the evening and warned her of dire consequences upon failing to clear the encroachments within three weeks.