Thu Jun 12 06:53:28 UTC 2025: ## Madras High Court Suspends Contempt Sentence for IAS Officer
**Chennai, June 12, 2025** – A Division Bench of the Madras High Court today suspended a one-month simple imprisonment sentence imposed on IAS officer Anshul Mishra for contempt of court. The ruling, delivered by Justices M.S. Ramesh and V. Lakshminarayanan, also requires Mr. Mishra to deposit ₹25,000 with the High Court Registrar (Judicial) within three weeks. This suspension is without prejudice to his service record.
The court’s decision comes after Mr. Mishra appealed his conviction and sentence, which had been previously suspended for a month by the single judge to allow him time to appeal. The case stems from a long-standing property dispute involving elderly siblings R. Lalithambal and K.S. Viswananthan.
The siblings had been fighting for the reconveyance of 17 cents of their land acquired in 1983 for a Tamil Nadu Housing Board project that was ultimately not fully utilized. While 10.5 cents were eventually reconveyed, the government retained 6.5 cents for road widening, leading to further legal action.
In November 2023, Justice P. Velmurugan directed Mr. Mishra, then Member Secretary of the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA), to address the siblings’ plea within two months. The CMDA only complied after a contempt petition was filed. Justice Velmurugan, while acknowledging the compliance, expressed strong disapproval of the two-year delay, stating, “This court notes with concern that such conduct by public authorities is not an isolated incident,” and subsequently imposed the initial punishment.
The Division Bench has adjourned the appeal hearing to July 21. The case highlights the challenges faced by citizens in resolving property disputes with government authorities and raises concerns about delays in bureaucratic processes.
First Piper 