In a twist to the contempt proceedings initiated against Gonda Divisional Commissioner Durga Shakti Nagpal (IAS:2010:UP), Allahabad High Court judge Justice Pramod Kumar Srivastava recused himself from hearing the matter on Thursday. The High Court has directed that the suo motu criminal contempt proceedings against Nagpal be placed before another bench.
A division bench of Justice Abdul Moin and Justice Pramod Kumar Srivastava ordered on Thursday that the case be listed before a fresh bench after obtaining nomination from the Chief Justice or the senior-most judge concerned.
The contempt proceedings against Nagpal emanated from an HC order passed on Aug 21 while hearing a transfer application 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.
During the hearing, the court was informed that Nagpal had tried to influence and intimidate the Gonda Civil Judge (Senior Division), Shabina Khan, by making repeated calls regarding the judicial officer’s leave and a case pending before her court. The High Court had taken serious note of that alleged telephonic conversation between Civil Judge Khan and Nagpal.
The court, then, initiated suo motu criminal contempt proceedings against Nagpal, holding that the Civil Judge’s allegations concerned possible interference with the administration of justice and directing that the matter be placed before an appropriate bench for further consideration.
With Justice Srivastava recusing himself from the case, the matter will now come up before a newly constituted bench on Sept 9.
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