VIJAYAWADA: The division bench of Andhra Pradesh High Court on Thursday stayed the single judge orders sentencing two IAS officers to imprisonment in a contempt case, for three weeks.The single judge bench had earlier sentenced Principal Secretary (Higher Education) J Syamala Rao and Commissioner of Collegiate Education Pola Bhaskar to one month jail term, besides imposing a fine of Rs 1,000 each.
The matter relates to a case filed by some petitioners seeking court orders for filling up of vacant aided posts in the education department with unaided lecturers. The court issued orders on July 26, 2022 for filling up of the posts with unaided lecturers.
As the court orders were not implemented, some unaided lecturers filed the contempt petition. The single judge, while sentencing the IAS officers to imprisonment, has also asked them to surrender before the Registrar (Judicial) by December 8.
The single judge bench had asked the court registry to take steps to send the two officers to prison. The two IAS officers appealed against the orders of the single judge, before the division bench, which stayed the orders for three weeks.