CONT P/3620/2026 of S.Natarajan Vs Thiru. P.Madhusudhan Reddy, IAS. on 12 October 2026

ORDER

The petitioner has filed the above contempt petition alleging that the orders of this Court in W.P.No.29032 of 2018 dated 22.11.2018 has not been complied by the respondent.

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2. The writ petition in W.P.No.29032 of 2018 was filed seeking to quash the order dated 27.05.2017 passed by the fourth respondent therein namely, the Tahsildar, Malamalayanoor, Villupuram District and to direct the respondents to furnish the certified copy of FMB sketch relating to Survey No.411/2 in Avalurpet Village, for the period 1972 to 1983.

3. The petitioner's contention in the writ petition was that he owned certain lands in Avalurpet Village and that with reference to demarcation of boundary in patta land in Survey No.411/2, there was a dispute between the petitioner and his neighbours. Therefore, the petitioner had made several requests to the Revenue to measure the lands at Survey No.411/2, despite which, the revenue officials were reluctant to measure the same stating that the old FMB sketch in respect of Survey No.411 was not available. The reason given for this was the creation of a new Taluk Office at Melmalayanoor. The petitioner would also contend that an individual who is running a Teacher Training Institute had encroached upon his lands, and it is this person who had influenced the revenue officials and therefore, the officials are evading to measure his lands by simply stating that the FMB sketch is not available.

4. The petitioner would submit that he had applied for the certified copy of FMB sketch with reference to Survey No.411/2 and had made an application

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on 03.08.2017 to measure the lands. Once again on 03.04.2018, an application for the said purpose, was made to the Tahsildar, Melmalayanoor with the requisite fee. However, by the impugned order dated 27.05.2017, the petitioner's application was rejected stating that the FMB for Survey No.411/2 from 1972 to 1983 was not available in the office of the Tahsildar, Melmalayanoor. Subsequently, the petitioner was first directed to approach the Revenue Divisional Office, Tindivanam, therafter, the Office of Collectorate at Villupuram and finally the Director of Survey and Settlement Office at Chennai. However, the request of the petitioner did not yield any result and ultimately, he had moved this Court to quash the order dated 27.05.2017 and to direct the respondents to furnish the FMB sketch, by filing the writ petition. This Court, on 22.11.2018, has recorded the statement of the learned Special Government Pleader and passed the following order : " 4. Mr.E.Balamurugan, learned Special Government Pleader appearing on behalf of the respondents, represented that if the petitioner makes a fresh application to the second respondent. where the records sought for by the petitioner are available, the same would be considered by the second respondent.

5. The said submission is recorded. Accordingly, the petitioner is directed to make a fresh application to the second respondent within a period of two weeks from the date of receipt of a copy of this order, after which, the second respondent is directed to consider the same and pass appropriate orders on merits and in accordance with law, after affording an opportunity of hearing to the petitioner and any one of the interested

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parties, if required, within a period of five weeks thereafter.

6. With the above direction, the Writ Petition is disposed of. No costs. Consequently, connected miscellaneous petition is closed."

5. It is the contention of the petitioner that by oversight he had not noticed the order passed on 22.11.2018 in W.P.No.29032 of 2018, and it was only on 06.07.2026, when his counsel has given a letter to the Registry to list the said writ petition, he came to learn that an order has been passed by this Court. The petitioner thereafter on 13.07.2026 had forwarded the order of this Court dated 22.11.2018 to the second respondent and made the payment through e-challan on 13.08.2026 for providing the FMB sketch. Since the said request has not been considered by the respondent, the petitioner has filed the aforesaid contempt petition.

6. The allegation of the petitioner is that the order of this Court dated 22.11.2018 was not noticed by him by oversight. This contention cannot be appreciated for the simple reason that the said order had been in the presence of the counsel for the petitioner and therefore, the petitioner cannot feign ignorance about the passing of the order in W.P.No.29032 of 2018. The petitioner makes it appear that it was only after the letter was given to Registry on 06.07.2026, he had come to knowledge about the said order. Be that as it may, the order had been passed as early as 22.11.2018 with a direction to the

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petitioner to make a fresh application to the second respondent therein, within a period of two weeks and thereafter, the respondents were directed to process the same within a period of five weeks, after giving an opportunity to the petitioner to put forward his case. Considering the fact that the petitioner has failed to comply with the order passed by this Court directing him to submit an application within two weeks, the petitioner cannot allege that the respondents have committed contempt, that too after a period of eight years from the date of the order in question.

7. Accordingly, the contempt petition stands dismissed. 12-10-2026 Index: Yes/No Speaking/Non-speaking order Neutral Citation: Yes/No DS To: The Director of Survey and Land Registrar Chepauk Chennai - 600 005.

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P.T.ASHA J. DS CONT P No. 3620 of 2026 12-10-2026