HC admits contempt case
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, August 09 2023:
A Division Bench of the High Court of Manipur dealing with the PIL filed in connection with the now deferred mass burial plan by a tribal organisation has admitted a contempt petition as respondents fail to maintain status quo ante as ordered.
The Division Bench comprising of Acting Chief Justice MV Muralidaran and Justice A Guneshwar Sharma today further issued notice to the respondents returnable by August 30 after admitting the contempt case with reference to the PIL filed by the International Meitei forum.
The contempt case was admitted in view of vandalization of Meitei houses in Torbung Bangla using bulldozers allegedly by Kuki mobs from Churachandpur and S Kotlien after August 3 disrespecting the interim order of the High Court order to maintain status quo ante.
The Division Bench also directed both the Centre and State Government to further maintain status quo ante at the site belonging to Sericulture Directorate where ITLF had earlier planned a mass burial on August 3 .
Before admitting the contempt case, the Division Bench heard the submission of the petitioner's counsel, State and Central Government's counsel at length and directed respondents' counsels to submit affidavits before August 30 for further hearing of the PIL.
The Court then heard the contempt petition filed by the same petitioner under section 12 of the Contempt of Court Act urging to initiate contempt proceedings against the contemnors/ respondents for their acts of willful and deliberate disobedience of the order passed by the same court on August 3 .
The contempt petition was filed against Dr Vineet Joshi, Chief Secretary Government of Manipur; T Ranjit, Commissioner Home; Thaithulung Pamei, Commissioner/ Secretary Sericulture; Rajib Singh, DGP Manipur Police; Dharun Kumar, Deputy Commissioner Churachandpur; Karthik Malladi, SP Churachandpur; Ajay Kumar Bhalla, Secretary Ministry of Home Affairs, Union of India; Lieutenant General Rana Pratap Kalita, GOC In-charge of Eastern command; Major General Ranjan Sharawat, IGAR South and Thangjamang Freebird Zomi, OC Churachandpur as official respondents and two private respondents- Pagin Haokip, chairman of ITLF and Zaldolien Varte, convener of the Joint Philanthropic Organisation, Churachandpur.
The filed contempt petition mentions that there were standing structures inside the Sericulture farm standing despite being vandalized by Kuki Mob before August 3 .
However, more than 500 kuki mobs from Churachandpur and S Kotlien have vandalized Meitei houses in Torbung Bangla using bulldozers after August 3 which is a total disregard and non compliance of High Court order, the petition said.
Despite knowing the existing interim High Court order, the official respondents have failed to discharge their bounden and legal duty to comply with the order passed by the Court and thus have failed to protect the Court order to maintain status quo ante in the land of question despite the volume of security personnel deployed in the State of Manipur.
The petitioner further said that the respondents seem to be very much incompetent to maintain law and order situation even after receiving specific direction from the High Court and prayed for contempt proceedings against the respondents.