Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court has sentenced Ranga Reddy District Collector C. Narayana Reddy (IAS: 2015: Telangana) to six months’ simple imprisonment in a contempt of court case involving the non-compliance of its directions concerning two land plots in Turkayamjal.
Justice K. Lakshman held the officer guilty of wilful and deliberate disobedience of the court’s earlier order. The court also imposed a fine of ₹2,000.
However, the execution of the imprisonment sentence has been suspended for four weeks to allow the officer an opportunity to challenge the verdict before an appropriate appellate forum.
The contempt proceedings arose from a petition filed by P. Shivaleela and her husband, P. Venkateshwarlu, who accused the District Collector of failing to comply with the High Court’s directions regarding their land.
Why Did the High Court Sentence the IAS Officer?
The dispute concerns two plots — Plot No. 59 and the eastern portion of Plot No. 62 — situated in Manne Muthyalamma Kunta, Turkayamjal, in Ranga Reddy district.
The petitioners had sought the removal of their properties from the prohibitory list maintained under Section 22-A of the Registration Act, 1908. They approached the court seeking a direction to consider their representation and facilitate the issuance of a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for the plots.
On August 5, 2025, the High Court directed the District Collector to examine their representation and pass a reasoned order within 60 days. The court also required that the decision be communicated to the petitioners.
However, the Collector did not take a decision within the prescribed period, prompting the couple to initiate contempt proceedings.
Collector Passed Orders After Contempt Proceedings Began
During the contempt proceedings, the High Court noted that the Collector had issued notices to the petitioners and passed a rejection order on February 26, 2026, only after the contempt case had been initiated.
A subsequent rejection order was issued on July 8, 2026.
The Collector had relied on procedural and land-revenue issues in his defence. However, the court found the explanation unsatisfactory and held that these grounds could not be used to justify non-compliance with its earlier directions.
The court emphasised that an official who disagrees with a judicial order must challenge it through the appropriate legal process rather than disregard it.
Six-Month Jail Sentence Suspended for Four Weeks
After examining the circumstances, Justice K. Lakshman concluded that the Collector’s failure to comply with the directions amounted to wilful and deliberate disobedience.
The court consequently:
- Sentenced C. Narayana Reddy to six months’ simple imprisonment.
- Imposed a fine of ₹2,000.
- Suspended the execution of the imprisonment sentence for four weeks, allowing him time to pursue an appeal.
The ruling concerns the Collector’s compliance with the court’s directions in the specific land dispute and the resulting contempt proceedings.
Who Is C. Narayana Reddy?
C. Narayana Reddy is a 2015-batch IAS officer of the Telangana cadre, inducted into the IAS through the State Civil Service promotion route. He is currently serving as the Collector and District Magistrate of Ranga Reddy district, a position he assumed in October 2024.
Before his present assignment, he served as District Collector of Vikarabad from February 2023 to October 2024 and Nizamabad from December 2019 to February 2023.
His current posting places him in charge of the district administration, revenue matters and coordination of government programmes in Ranga Reddy.
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