Lucknow: The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court on Thursday directed that the suo motu criminal contempt proceedings against Gonda divisional commissioner Durga Shakti Nagpal be placed before another bench after Justice Pramod Kumar Srivastava recused himself from hearing the matter.
During the hearing of the transfer plea, the high court had taken serious note of an alleged telephonic conversation between Civil Judge (Senior Division) Shabina Khan and Nagpal regarding the judicial officer’s leave and a case pending before her court. Observing that the allegations raised issues concerning possible interference with the administration of justice, the court had initiated suo motu criminal contempt proceedings against the divisional commissioner and directed that the matter be placed before an appropriate Bench for further consideration.
The contempt proceedings stem from an order passed by the high court on Aug 21 while hearing a transfer application arising out of a nearly three-decade-old land dispute pending before a civil court in Gonda. The dispute relates to a suit filed in 1997 by Jyoti Vidya Mandir school against Nagar Palika Parishad, Gonda.
Court Orders Fresh Listing for Legal Case
A division bench comprising Justice Abdul Moin and Justice Pramod Kumar Srivastava has directed that a pending legal case be presented before a new bench. This action follows the requirement to obtain a nomination from the Chief Justice or the most senior judge involved. The case is set to be listed in the backlog fresh category on September 9.