Contempt plea filed against GHMC commissioner over Gandhi Jayanti meat-shop closure
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Hyderabad: A law graduate has filed a contempt petition against Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) Commissioner RV Karnan in the Telangana High Court, alleging that the civic body defied an earlier court direction by ordering the closure of slaughterhouses and meat shops across the city on Gandhi Jayanti.
Justice NV Shravan Kumar is scheduled to hear the petition on Monday, October 5. The matter was mentioned as a lunch motion on Thursday, October 1, but the court declined to take it up urgently and directed that it be listed in the regular course.
The petitioner, Vadla Srikanth of Tarnaka, has sought contempt proceedings against Karnan and requested the court to impose costs of Rs 50,000 on the GHMC commissioner.
The petition challenges the GHMC’s September 30 order directing the closure of sheep, goat and cattle slaughterhouses, as well as retail meat and beef shops, within the corporation limits on October 2 for Gandhi Jayanti.
In a press release, the civic body said the decision had been taken under Section 533(b) of the GHMC Act, 1955, following a resolution passed by its Standing Committee. Karnan had also written to Hyderabad police commissioners seeking assistance to implement the closure order.
Srikanth contended that the order violated a Telangana High Court direction issued on February 23, 2026, in an earlier writ petition filed by him. The earlier petition had challenged a GHMC letter dated August 4, 2025, which ordered the closure of cattle slaughterhouses and retail beef shops.
While disposing of the petition, the High Court had directed authorities to strictly follow the provisions of the GHMC Act while issuing such orders.
Appearing for Srikanth, advocate Vijay Gopal argued that GHMC had proceeded with the closure despite the court’s direction. The petition alleged that the order was not supported by regulations framed under the GHMC Act and that no relevant regulation had been notified in the official gazette.
The plea further argued that the closure of meat and beef shops affected the fundamental rights of traders and citizens under Article 19(1)(g) of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to practise a profession or carry on a trade or business. It maintained that any restriction on this right must be imposed strictly in accordance with the law.