PATNA: Expressing displeasure on the "incompetency" of five Patna Municipal Corporation officers, who were standing in the dock facing criminal contempt of court on Friday for demolishing a building on Budh Marg in the state capital on August 12 despite being prohibited by judicial orders, the Patna HC refused to consider the plea made by advocate general P K Shahi who requested for showing "magnanimity" apropos the apologies tendered and promise made by them to never repeat such mistake in future.The bench of Justices Ashutosh Kumar and Satyavrat Verma, instituted suo motu on the TOI report published on August 13, orally refused to take any kind and liberal view in the matter.HC gives three options to officers On August 13, the high court made an unprecedented Sunday hearing and initiated criminal contempt against municipal commissioner Animesh Kumar Parashar, additional municipal commissioner Sheela Irani, executive officer Prabhat Ranjan, executive engineer Vijay Kumar and Md Shamshad, project director of Patna Smart City Project.Shahi submitted that he is only praying the judges to show their kind heart and invoke "magnanimous jurisdiction" as the impugned actions committed by the accused contemnors are for the first and last time. He also submitted that the accused have an earnest wish to take upon corrective measures against what they have done.The two judges said, "Mr AG, please guide us to the garden path of such magnanimity which you are praying for these incompetent officers who either do not understand the courts order or their mind makes them feel above that." However, upon the incessant persuasions of Shahi, the high court gave three options to the accused, which may result in reduction of their punishment. The options were: Either one of the accused should come out as the real culprit of the entire episode voluntarily to face punishment so as to absolve the rest four of the charges of contempt (unaccepted by Shahi), or the accused contemnors should erect the demolished building again or an exemplary compensation amount to be deposited by the contemnors in a public fund.The advocate general sought time to ponder upon the other two options. This matter will be heard again on September 15 in presence of all the accused officers.

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