Putta Fish Seed Farm Vs Sri Sabya Sachi Ghose — Contempt of Court | Telangana HC (2025)

Putta Fish Seed Farm Vs Sri Sabya Sachi Ghose — Contempt of Court | Telangana HC (2025)

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

No punitive action: the eleven contempt cases were closed without any finding of contempt or sentence, upon recorded compliance (administrative sanction, IFMIS bills and payment tokens) and the Government's statement that the amounts would be credited within ten days; petitioners were recorded liberty to avail remedies under law if the amounts are not deposited.

Issue for consideration

Whether the respondent officers committed willful and deliberate disobedience of the orders in the underlying writ petitions (directing payment for supply of fish seed/prawn juveniles), punishable under Sections 10 to 12 of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971. +1 more

Court's answer

The issues in the eleven contempt cases being intrinsically interconnected, the Court took them up, heard them together and disposed of them by this common order.

Ratio / Principle

On the written instructions of the Director of Fisheries placed on record by the learned Special Government Pleader, the Government had issued Administrative Sanction vide G.O.RI.No.S0 A.H., D.D. & F Dept., dated 29.07.2025 for Rs.26,97,71,000/- from the BE provision 2025-26 towards payment to the agencies for supply of fish and prawn seed during Financial Year 2023-24, and had further instructed by Memo No.1178/F/A2/2023 dated 12.08.2025 that necessary action be taken for payment to the petitioners.

Key takeaways

Bills were raised in the IFMIS portal (vide T.B.R.Nos.20250000001166 & 20250000001165) and submitted to the Pay and Accounts Office with Tokens Nos.2601061494 & 2607061483 issued for payment; on the learned Special Government Pleader's submission that the tokens having been issued the orders stood complied with, the Court recorded that the amounts would be credited within ten days from receipt of a copy of the order.ratio¶176
At the instance of learned counsel for the petitioners, it was recorded that if the amounts are not deposited, the petitioners may be permitted to avail such remedies as are available under law.obiter¶177
Recording the submissions of learned counsel for the petitioners and the learned Special Government Pleader, the Court closed all the contempt cases and any pending miscellaneous applications, with no order as to costs.

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

High Court for the State of Telangana (N.V. Shravan Kumar, J), common order dated 13.08.2025 in Contempt Case Nos.450, 289, 476, 526, 527, 576, 579, 580, 582, 585 and 697 of 2025 under Sections 10 to 12 of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971: fish seed suppliers/farms and fish contractors alleged willful and deliberate disobedience of orders in W.P.Nos.36559/2024, 33772/2024, 37166/2024, 37145/2024, 890/2025, 535/2025, 1099/2025, 1180/2025, 1087/2025, 1280/2025 and 1290/2025 relating to payment for supply of fish seed/prawn juveniles for FY 2023-24. On the written instructions of the Director of Fisheries showing Administrative Sanction vide G.O.RI.No.S0 (sic) A.H., D.D. & F Dept., dated 29.07.2025 for Rs.26,97,71,000/- (BE provision 2025-26), Memo dated 12.08.2025, IFMIS bills T.B.R.Nos.20250000001166 & 20250000001165 and Tokens Nos.2601061494 & 2607061483, and the learned Special Government Pleader's statement that the orders stood complied with and the amounts would be credited within ten days, the Court closed all the contempt cases and pending miscellaneous applications, with no order as to costs, recording the petitioners' liberty to avail remedies under law if the amounts are not deposited. No precedent was cited or discussed.

Procedural history

How this case reached the court

AI extract

Order under challenge
No fresh judicial order is under challenge: eleven contempt petitions under Sections 10 to 12 of the Contempt of Courts Act 1971 allege willful and deliberate disobedience by the respondent officers of earlier writ orders directing payment for supply of fish seed/prawn juveniles; this common order records compliance steps and closes the contempt cases.¶7
High Court for the State of Telangana at Hyderabad
Prior proceeding
Contempt Case No.450 of 2025 founded on alleged disobedience of the order dated 27-12-2024 in W.P.No.36559 of 2024.¶7
Prior proceeding
Contempt Case No.289 of 2025 founded on alleged disobedience of the order dated 08-01-2025 in W.P.No.33772 of 2024.¶17
Prior proceeding
Respondent No.3 (District Fisheries Officer, Mulugu) was suo motu impleaded in CC No.289/2025 by Court order dated 06.03.2025.¶26
Prior proceeding
Contempt Case No.476 of 2025 founded on alleged disobedience of the order dated 09-01-2025 in W.P.No.890 of 2025.¶34
Prior proceeding
Contempt Case No.526 of 2025 founded on alleged disobedience of the order dated 02-01-2025 in W.P.No.37166 of 2024.¶44
Prior proceeding
Contempt Case No.527 of 2025 founded on alleged disobedience of the order dated 02-01-2025 in W.P.No.37145 of 2024.¶54
Prior proceeding
Contempt Case No.576 of 2025 founded on alleged disobedience of the order dated 10-01-2025 in W.P.No.1099 of 2025.¶67
Prior proceeding
Contempt Case No.579 of 2025 founded on alleged disobedience of the order dated 10-01-2025 in W.P.No.1290 of 2025.¶84
Prior proceeding
Contempt Case No.580 of 2025 founded on alleged disobedience of the order dated 10-01-2025 in W.P.No.1180 of 2025.¶98
Prior proceeding
Contempt Case No.582 of 2025 founded on alleged disobedience of the order dated 10-01-2025 in W.P.No.1087 of 2025 (printed in damaged form as 'W P.No. 10B7 of 2O25').¶112
Prior proceeding
Contempt Case No.585 of 2025 founded on alleged disobedience of the order dated 10-01-2025 in W.P.No.1280 of 2025.¶127
Prior proceeding
Contempt Case No.697 of 2025 founded on alleged disobedience of the order dated 09-01-2025 in W.P.No.535 of 2025.¶147
Prior proceeding
Compliance steps preceding this order: written instructions of the Director of Fisheries placed on record showing Administrative Sanction dated 29.07.2025 for Rs.26,97,71,000/- and Memo dated 12.08.2025 directing payment to the petitioners.¶171

Parties & counsel

AI extract

petitioner
M/s. Spoorthy Fish Seeds, Rep. by its Managing Partner, Sri. Katla Sadanandam (Petitioner, CC 450/2025)¶9
Mr. Akkam Eshwar
petitioner
Kantheti Sai, Prop. of Siva Fish Seed Farm (Petitioner No.1, CC 289/2025)¶19
Sri M. Vidyavathi
petitioner
Jagula Ganesh, Prop. of Sri Saradhi Fish Seed Farm (Petitioner No.2, CC 289/2025)¶20
Sri M. Vidyavathi
petitioner
P.N.V.S.S.Raj Kumar, Prop. of Hanuman Fish Seed Farm (Petitioner No.3, CC 289/2025)¶21
Sri M. Vidyavathi
petitioner
Abhay Fish Traders & seed Suppliers, rep. by its proprietor Gangadhara Kankaiah (Petitioner, CC 476/2025)¶36
M/s. Ponnam Mahesh Babu
petitioner
Gadipalli Rajitha Fish Seed Farm, Rep by its Proprietor Smt. cadipalli Rajitha (Petitioner, CC 526/2025)¶46
M/s. D.L. Pandu
petitioner
Nagapuri Prakash, Fish Contractor (Petitioner No.1, CC 527/2025)¶56
M/s. D.L. Pandu
petitioner
D. Shiva Kumar, Fish Contractor (Petitioner No.2, CC 527/2025)¶57
M/s. D.L. Pandu
petitioner
Puli Rajender Goud, Fish Contractor (Petitioner No.3, CC 527/2025)¶58
M/s. D.L. Pandu
petitioner
D. Krishna Prasad, Sri Syamala Fish Seed Suppliers (Petitioner No.4, CC 527/2025)¶59
M/s. D.L. Pandu
petitioner
Sree Mathsya Fisheries Farm, Rep by its Managing partner, Bolla Venkat (Petitioner No.1, CC 576/2025)¶69
M/s. D.L. Pandu
petitioner
Sri Adhivinayaka Fish Seed Farm, Rep by its proprietor panja yesu Kumar (Petitioner No.2, CC 576/2025)¶70
M/s. D.L. Pandu
petitioner
Sri Vinayaka Fish Seed Suppliers, Rep by its proprietor Vaddi Hari Venkata Satya Syamalarao (Petitioner No.3, CC 576/2025)¶71
M/s. D.L. Pandu
petitioner
Durga Fish Seed Farm, Rep by its Proprietor, Alluri Ashok Chakravathi (Petitioner No.4, CC 576/2025; Petitioner No.1, CC 585/2025)¶72
M/s. D.L. Pandu
petitioner
Kolan Bheemraj (Petitioner No.5, CC 576/2025)¶73
M/s. D.L. Pandu
petitioner
Hamsini Fish Seed Farm, Rep by its Proprietor, Mathi Gopikrishna (Petitioner, CC 579/2025)¶86
M/s. D.L. Pandu
petitioner
M/s Neelima Fish Seed Farm, Rep by its proprietor, T. Sulil Kumar (Petitioner, CC 580/2025)¶100
M/s. D.L. Pandu
petitioner
K.S. Fish Farm, Rep by its Managing Partner Kanduta Srinivas (Petitioner No.1, CC 582/2025)¶114
M/s. D.L. Pandu
petitioner
Jala Pushpa Fish Seed Hatching Company, Rep by its Managing partner Chethi Sri Ramulu (Petitioner No.2, CC 582/2025)¶115
M/s. D.L. Pandu
petitioner
N. Kharan Chand Fish Seed Farms, Rep by its Proprietor, N. Kharan Chand (Petitioner No.2, CC 585/2025)¶130
M/s. D.L. Pandu
petitioner
Rudhraraju Jagadeesh Varma Fish Seed Suppliers, Rep by its proprietor, Sri R. Jagadeesh Varma (Petitioner No.3, CC 585/2025)¶131
M/s. D.L. Pandu
petitioner
N. Srinivasa Rao Fish Seed Farm, Rep by its proprietor, N. Srinivasa Rao (Petitioner No.4, CC 585/2025)¶132
M/s. D.L. Pandu
petitioner
N. Murali Krishna Fish Seed Farm, Rep by its proprietor, N. Murali Krishna (Petitioner No.5, CC 585/2025)¶133
M/s. D.L. Pandu
petitioner
Sri Vijay All ln One Fish Seeds Farm, Rep by its proprietor, G.V.N,V Subba Rao (Petitioner No.6, CC 585/2025)¶134
M/s. D.L. Pandu
petitioner
Sri Manikanta Fish Seed Farm, Rep by its proprietor, G. Venu (Petitioner No.7, CC 585/2025)¶135
M/s. D.L. Pandu
petitioner
Geeta Mahalaxmi Fish Seed Farm, Rep by its proprietor, Ch Anil Kumar (Petitioner No.8, CC 585/2025)¶136
M/s. D.L. Pandu
petitioner
Putta Fish Seed Farm, Rep by its Proprietor putta Bala Raju (Petitioner No.1, CC 697/2025)¶149
M/s. D.L. pandu
petitioner
Srikanth Fish Seed Farm, Rep by its proprietor p.R Srikanth Addepalli (Petitioner No.2, CC 697/2025)¶150
M/s. D.L. pandu
respondent
Sri Sandeep Kumar Sultania, IAS, Principal Secretary, Finance Department (Respondent/Contemnor in all eleven contempt cases)¶12
GP FOR FINANCE PLANNING, Sri Swaroop Oorilla
respondent
Sri Sabya Sachi Ghose (Shri Sabyasachi Ghosh), IAS, Special Chief Secretary / Principal Secretary, Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development and Fisheries Department (Respondent No.1, CC 289/2025 and CC 576, 579, 580, 582, 585, 697 of 2025)¶75
ADDL ADVOCATE GENERAL
respondent
Smt. Priyanka Ala, IAS, Commissioner of Fisheries, Telangana State (Respondent No.3, CC 576, 579, 580, 582, 585, 697 of 2025)¶77
ADDL ADVOCATE GENERAL
respondent
Sri T.Srinivas, Deputy Director of Fisheries (Inlands), O/o Commissioner of Fisheries (Respondent No.4, CC 576, 579, 580, 582, 585, 697 of 2025)¶78
ADDL ADVOCATE GENERAL
respondent
The District Fisheries Officer, Mulugu District (Respondent No.3, CC 289/2025; suo motu impleaded)¶26
GP FOR FISHERIES
respondent
Sri Adarsh Surabhi, IAS, District Collector, Wanaparthy District (Respondent No.5, CC 697/2025)¶157
GP FOR REVENUE
respondent
Sri Badavath Santosh, IAS, District Collector, Nagarkurnool District (Respondent No.6, CC 697/2025)¶158
GP FOR REVENUE

Coram

AI extract

N.V. Shravan Kumarauthor¶5