Official disregard of high court order can’t go unpunished: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court reprimanded an Andhra Pradesh deputy collector for defying a High Court order by forcibly evicting slum-dwellers in Guntur. The officer's refusal to accept demotion as punishment for contempt led the apex court to assert that his actions cannot be ignored. The court highlighted the severity of demolishing homes with a large police force after a clear warning.