Karnataka HC Closes Farmer’s Contempt Case, Finds Police Took Steps To Protect His Agricultural Work On Disputed Land

The complainant sought contempt proceedings alleging deliberate disobedience of the High Court’s order dated 28 November 2024 in W.P. No. 31920/2024, which directed police authorities to protect him in relation to the subject property, in light of an earlier order in W.P. No. 19743/2024.

In a compliance affidavit, the police authorities stated that they had registered several FIRs in response to complaints and deployed personnel to protect the complainant’s agricultural activities on multiple dates.

They also maintained that a request for revenue demarcation was a bona fide step to identify the land boundaries.

The deponent tendered an unconditional apology.

The petition was brought under Sections 11 and 12 of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971, alleging wilful and deliberate disobedience of the Court’s order.

The Court’s reasoning proceeded on the basis that contempt required disobedience of the order and assessed whether the police authorities had taken steps to comply; it did not set out a separate statutory test or rely on precedent.

The Court considered the police authorities’ affidavit describing police deployments at the property, registration of FIRs, and other steps said to have been taken in response to the complainant’s complaints.

On that record, it found that the police authorities had taken due steps to comply with the writ Court’s direction.

It therefore did not find a basis to continue contempt proceedings.

The Court consigned the contempt petition. No punishment or further direction was made.