Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir): In a significant escalation of the legal dispute between a Ganderbal judge and the district's Deputy Commissioner, the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir has summoned the latter to appear personally on August 5. On Friday, a division bench comprising Justice Atul Sreedharan and Justice Sanjeev Kumar issued the summons to Deputy Commissioner Shyambir in a contempt case.
The action follows a referral from the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Ganderbal, who had initiated contempt proceedings against Deputy Commissioner Shyambir for allegedly interfering with the judicial process and attempting to intimidate the judge. The High Court has taken a serious stance on the matter, mandating the Deputy Commissioner's personal appearance.
Senior advocate R.A. Jan has been appointed as amicus curiae to assist the court in the case. The controversy began when a Sub-Judge in Ganderbal ordered the attachment of the salaries of several government officials, including the Deputy Commissioner, in an execution case. The Deputy Commissioner is accused of actions perceived as attempts to intimidate the judge, leading to the current contempt proceedings.
It can be recalled that the Ganderbal sub-judge, Fayaz Ahmad Qureshi, recently initiated a preliminary criminal contempt inquiry against DC Ganderbal Shyambir asking him to explain why he should not be referred to the J&K High Court for criminal proceedings for allegedly defying a court order and attempting to "personally attack" the judge through "manipulation and fabrication."
