Allahabad high court holds UP special secretary in contempt, detains officer in court
Besides, the court in its order dated December 20 imposed a fine of ₹2000, payable by January 4, 2025
Taking serious note of disobedience of a court order, the Allahabad high court held Rajnish Chandra, special secretary, department of social welfare, UP, guilty of contempt of court and had sentenced him to detention in the court till the rising of court.
Besides, the court in its order dated December 20 imposed a fine of ₹2000, payable by January 4, 2025, to the registrar general of the court. On failure of the payment of fine, the contemnor shall undergo one month imprisonment for which a warrant shall be issued by the chief judicial magistrate, Allahabad.
After the court order, the special secretary was taken into custody by the court officer and remained in custody till 1 pm.
The said officer prevented payment of salary to the applicant in terms of the high court order dated March 4, 2024.
Hearing a contempt petition filed by Suman Devi, justice Salil Kumar Rai observed, “The act of the special secretary in trying to pass the buck and his role in preventing payment of salary to the applicant in terms of the order dated March 4, 2024 passed by this court shows that the apology tendered by the special secretary is not sincere and has been given only to avoid punishments in the proceedings.
“It is the duty of this court to take a strict view of the matter so far as the special secretary is concerned and wield the weapon of contempt to uphold and maintain the dignity of this court and also the majesty of law,” the court added in its order dated December 20.
The petitioner, Suman Devi was working in Dr BR Ambedkar Shiksha Sadan, Abu Nagar, Fatehpur and was to retire on April 10, 2022 and was accordingly given sessions benefit and was permitted to retire at the end of the session on March 31, 2023. When she was not paid salary for the whole extended period of employment, she approached the high court.
This court vide order dated March 4, 2024 allowed the prayer of the applicant and disposed of the writ petition with the direction that the petitioner shall be paid her salary from April 1, 2022 till the end of the session. When this order was not complied with, she filed the present writ petition.
