Criminal Contempt Case: J&K and Ladakh HC Summons Ganderbal DC

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The High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh has summoned Ganderbal Deputy Commissioner Shyambir Singh in an alleged criminal contempt case, directing him to appear in person on August 5.

A bench comprising Justice Atul Sreedharan and Justice Sanjeev Kumar instructed Singh to address the criminal contempt charges against him in person.

“Issue notice to the contemnor, Mr. Shyambir, by Humdast. The contemnor shall appear in person before this court on Monday, i.e., August 5, at 11:00 am sharp,” the court stated.

The high court has also appointed senior counsel RA Jan as amicus curiae to assist in the proceedings. The case against Singh, a 2018-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer serving as Deputy Commissioner of Ganderbal since 2022, arose from allegations that he retaliated against Ganderbal sub-judge Fayaz Ahmad Qureshi, allegedly abusing his official position to intimidate and harass him.

Qureshi had issued an order to attach Singh’s salary due to non-compliance with an October 2022 judgment. The sub-judge claimed that the deputy commissioner misused his position to harass him, including unauthorized visits to his property by government officials. This was seen as an attempt to undermine judicial authority and retaliate against the court’s decision.

In initiating the criminal contempt proceedings last month, Qureshi also recommended that the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary take administrative action against Singh under the Government Conduct Rules, 1971, describing him as a “constant potential threat” to the judiciary. The bench warned that any attempt by Singh to avoid service of summons or his non-appearance would be viewed seriously, and the court would resort to coercive proceedings to secure his presence.