'Defiance of orders': Kerala HC directs Police to produce Muvattupuzha RDO

KOCHI: The Kerala High Court has directed the Muvattupuzha Station House Officer (SHO) to arrest and produce Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) V.E. Abbas before the court, citing his repeated failure to comply with a judicial directive regarding a land conversion application.

Justice P.V. Kunhikrishnan issued the order after the official ignored a mandate to reconsider an application filed by a South Chittoor resident, Manu Antony, seeking to remove his land from the government data bank. The court had previously quashed the RDO’s initial order rejecting the Form 5 application and explicitly directed that the matter be reviewed legally.

Despite being granted subsequent opportunities to explain the delay—either by filing a sworn affidavit or appearing in person—the official failed to adhere to the court's instructions, prompting the bench to initiate enforcement proceedings. The court stated that the RDO could be released if he signs a bond promising to appear in court. Furthermore, the court specified that the official must engage his own legal counsel, as the government pleader should not represent him in this matter. If the required affidavit is submitted according to the previous directives, the court noted that the requirement for his personal appearance might be waived.

This case follows a pattern of judicial frustration regarding the handling of land conversion applications. In similar proceedings in November 2025, the same bench had imposed a fine on a Deputy Collector in Palakkad for comparable lapses. During the proceedings, the court criticized the tendency of officials to ignore judicial orders, noting that in nearly 90% of cases, authorities issue rejections using repetitive, boilerplate language without applying their minds to the specific facts of the application. The court reiterated that any rejection of such applications must be supported by clear, substantiated reasons.

Responding to the court order, RDO V.E. Abbas stated that he had attempted to comply with the legal requirements. "I had submitted the affidavit as per the High Court’s order to the government lawyer on the eve of the case hearing. I do not know why the lapse occurred. I will comply with the order," Abbas said.