NT Reporter
Panaji
The High Court of Bombay at Goa on Wednesday issued contempt notices to Mahesh Mesta and Vedant Chodankar for allegedly obstructing compliance with its directions by assaulting Mormugao Port Authority (MPA) officials who had gone to barricade the site and take possession of the land following the demolition of the illegal shed at Sada, popularly known as ‘Murgaocha Raja’.
The court took on record an affidavit of compliance dated October 12, filed by chief officer of the Mormugao Municipal Council Siddhivinayak Naik, confirming the demolition of the illegal shed with photographic evidence.
During Wednesday’s hearing, MPA’s counsel said that its officials had visited the site on October 7, after the demolition, to take possession of the property and barricade it. They were allegedly assaulted, leading to the registration of a first information report (FIR).
Mesta and Chodankar were named in the FIR for allegedly using force and obstructing the implementation of the court’s directions dated September 9, 2025. The MPA’s counsel also said that Chodankar had earlier approached the High Court seeking modification of the order.
The court said that preventing the effective implementation of judicial directions constituted prima facie contempt of court. It directed that Mesta and Chodankar be formally impleaded as contemnors and permitted the cause title of the contempt petition to be amended
forthwith.
“After considering the material in the additional affidavit, which has been filed by the petitioner, MPA, and the contents of the FIR, which is registered against two persons who have caused an impediment to the effective implementation of the directions of this Court vide order dated September 9, 2025, the said two persons shall be impleaded as contemnors in this petition,” the High Court said.
The contempt notices issued to the two are returnable on October 26.
