Allahabad High Court
Raja Ram vs Mithilesh Kumar Tripathi, ... on 8 July, 2019
Bench: Mahesh Chandra Tripathi
HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT ALLAHABAD
?Court No. - 10
Case :- CONTEMPT APPLICATION (CIVIL) No. - 4016 of 2019
Applicant :- Raja Ram
Opposite Party :- Mithilesh Kumar Tripathi, Tehsildar
Counsel for Applicant :- Gokaran Singh
Hon'ble Mahesh Chandra Tripathi,J.
Heard learned counsel for the applicant.
The applicant is before this Court for a direction to initiate contempt proceeding against the opposite parties for wilful disobedience of the order dated 07.09.2018 passed in Public Interest Litigation No.4320 of 2018 (Raja Ram v. State of U.P. & Ors.), which for ready reference is quoted as under:-
"The petitioner has approached this Court praying for a writ of mandamus commanding the respondents revenue authorities to remove the illegal encroachments made over Plot No. 111, which the petitioner alleges to be pond. In this respect, the petitioner has already filed an application dated 28.3.2018 before the Assistant Collector, Ghosi, District-Mau. However, it has been stated in the writ petition that no action has yet been taken by the Assistant Collector on the aforesaid application dated 28.3.2017 submitted by the petitioner.
It would serve no purpose to keep the writ petition pending, and therefore, it is directed that if no proceedings under Section 67 of the Uttar Pradesh Revenue Code, 2006 have already been registered in relation to encroachment over the said plot, the Assistant Collector shall inquire into the allegations made by the petitioner after following the procedure prescribed under Section 67 of the Uttar Pradesh Revenue Code, 2006 read with Rule 67 of the Uttar Pradesh Revenue Code Rules, 2016 and pass appropriate orders within a period of six months. In case the allegations of the petitioner are found to be true, the Assistant Collector shall ensure that the encroachments over the pond are removed within a period of one month thereafter unless the order of Assistant Collector is stayed by any superior authority or court in any appeal or revision filed against the order of Assistant Collector. It is also directed that, if the petitioner or any other member of the Gaon Sabha files an application in the case registered before the Assistant Collector, to be heard in opposition to the noticee in the said cases, the Assistant Collector shall afford a reasonable opportunity to the said persons to oppose the defence, if any, taken by the noticee.
It is clarified that this Court has not adjudicated upon the merits of the claim as raised by the petitioner in the present writ petition.
With the aforesaid directions, the writ petition is disposed of."
Learned counsel for the applicant submits that a certified copy of the aforesaid order was submitted for compliance before the opposite parties but the opposite parties have wilfully not complied with the order and, thus, have committed civil contempt liable for punishment under Section 12 of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971.
Prima facie a case of contempt has been made out. However, considering the facts and circumstances of the case, one more opportunity is afforded to the opposite parties to comply with the aforesaid order of the Court within three months from the date of production of a certified copy of this order.
The applicant shall supply a duly stamped registered envelope addressed to the opposite parties and another self-addressed stamped envelope to the office within one week from today. The office shall send a copy of this order along with the self-addressed stamped envelope of the applicant with a copy of contempt application to the opposite parties within one week, thereafter and keep a record thereof. The opposite party shall comply with the directions of the writ Court and intimate the applicant of the order through the self-addressed envelop within a week, thereafter.
With the aforesaid observations, this application is disposed of at this stage with liberty to the applicant to move a fresh application, if the order is not complied with by the opposite parties within the stipulated time as aforementioned.
Order Date :- 8.7.2019
SP/
