Justice K. Sujana of the Telangana High Court sentenced police officer A. Krishnaiah, who went on sick leave while serving as L.B. Nagar Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) of Malkajgiri commissionerate, to undergo one-month imprisonment, convicting him in a contempt of court case. The judge also imposed a fine of ₹2,000 on the officer.
The judge, however, suspended operation of the sentence till October 19 providing an opportunity to Krishnaiah to go for an appeal following the request of Public Prosecutor for Home Palle Nageshwar Rao. The contempt petition was filed by Katta Vamshi Krishna contending that Krishnaiah arrested him in a case of dowry death despite a specific order issued by the HC granting him protection from arrest.
The Bench of Justice K. Sujana on April 21 passed an order not to arrest the petitioner till April 23 and further extended the order on April 27. However, Krishnaiah, who was the investigating officer, arrested the petitioner on April 28 and produced him before the local court which rejected remand of the petitioner on learning that HC had passed protection from arrest order in the case.
“It was incumbent upon him to ascertain whether the said protection had been extended..”, the judge said. The officer cannot contend that he was unaware of the orders passed by the court, the judge said.
