The Madhya Pradesh High Court has once again expressed strong displeasure against Bhopal Collector Kaushlendra Vikram Singh for failing to execute a Revenue Recovery Certificate (RRC) on time in a case related to the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA). The court has now directed that if the matter is not resolved within 10 days, the Collector will be required to appear in person and provide an explanation.

This marks the second time that a contempt petition has been heard against the Bhopal Collector, prompting the court to take a stern stance.

The case was heard in the court of Justice A.K. Singh, with the next hearing scheduled for March 12. The contempt petition was filed by complainant Arvind Verma, who alleged that despite RERA's 2020 directive instructing the Bhopal Collector to execute the case under the RRC at the earliest, no action was taken.

The case originated when two individuals—Arvind Verma and Bhanu Pratap—lodged complaints against builder Himanshu Infrastructure with RERA, claiming that nearly ?50 lakh of their money was stuck with the builder. In response, RERA ordered the Bhopal Collector to recover the amount through the RRC process. However, the Collector failed to act, leading the complainants to file a contempt petition in the High Court.

Despite a court order directing the Collector to execute the RRC within 60 days, no action was taken. Similarly, Bhanu Pratap’s complaint, which also required the Collector’s intervention, remained unaddressed.

During the hearing of Bhanu Pratap’s petition on February 25, the court noted that the Bhopal Collector had failed to submit a compliance report. Angered by the non-compliance, the High Court issued a bailable warrant against him and ordered his appearance in court on March 12.

In Arvind Verma’s case, the court has now given a final ultimatum of 10 days for the matter to be settled. If the directive is not followed, the Collector will have to personally appear before the court to justify the delay.

Petitioners’ advocate Kapil Duggal emphasized that the Bhopal Collector had blatantly disregarded both RERA’s and the High Court’s directives, further delaying justice for the complainants.

The High Court’s latest orders reinforce its commitment to ensuring that officials comply with legal mandates, leaving no room for administrative negligence in executing RERA decisions.