Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) : Deputy Commissioner Shyambir Singh issued an unconditional apology to the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) of Ganderbal on Tuesday, following a High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh directive that provided him two days to consider submitting the apology.
In an order issued by CJM Ganderbal Fayaz Ahmad Quresh, Singh, who is facing criminal contempt charges in the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir, appeared before the court to file an application seeking forgiveness.
According to the court order, Singh submitted a written apology in the form of an affidavit, in which he asserted that there was no intentional or willful attempt to interfere with the administration of justice. Singh expressed his sincere remorse for his actions in the affidavit, which was attested by the Executive Magistrate 1st Class of Ganderbal.
The order further detailed that the court provided Singh ample time to contemplate his apology. Singh verbally reiterated his sincerity in court, pledging that he would not interfere with judicial functions in the future and would maintain respect for the courts of law. The court accepted his apology and forwarded a copy to the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh for further consideration.
The contempt proceedings against Singh originated from a land dispute in which a local court had ordered the attachment of salaries for several government officials, including Singh. He was accused of pressuring the judge and obstructing the judicial process by sending a revenue team to survey the judge’s land without proper notice.
The Chief Judicial Magistrate subsequently initiated contempt proceedings against Singh, which were later referred to the High Court. On Monday, Singh, a 2018 batch IAS officer, apologized for his conduct before a Division Bench of the High Court. However, the High Court asked for further proof of his remorse by directing him to voluntarily approach the CJM of Ganderbal with his apology.
