The Andhra Pradesh high court on Thursday imposed a penalty of Rs 1 lakh each on the residents of Ippatam village of Tadepalli mandal in Guntur district. The court found fault with the residents for misleading the court on road widening works in the village by the Mangalagiri-Tadepalli Municipal Corporation, early this month.

The residents approached the high court against the demolitions and secured a stay order. The court found that all the 14 residents had misled the court and misused the court’s process to get the stay order.

The court also found that the officials have issued notices to the residents before going for demolition in the village. The officials have submitted the series of notices served to the villagers from way back February this year. The advocate for the petitioners accepted that his clients have received the notices from the officials.

Angered at this, the court imposed a penalty of Rs 1 lakh each on the 14 petitioners of the village.

It may be recalled that the residents and Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan made hue and cry over the demolitions in the village for road widening. They alleged that the government was intentionally doing so as the villagers have given their lands for the Jana Sena to hold its foundation day in March this year.

Pawan Kalyan visited the village and threatened to pull down this government for razing the compound walls of the houses in the village for road widening. The opposition TDP too had accused the State government of indulging in witch hunt politics and criticised the government for taking up road widening work in the village.

During his visit to the village, Pawan Kalyan had announced a compensation of Rs 1 lakh to each of the residents. The high court too had imposed the penalty of Rs 1 lakh on each of these residents for misleading the court.