CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has sentenced a tahsildar to six months in jail for contempt of court, disobeying a court order and filing a false affidavit in court. Justice Battu Devanand passed the orders on the contempt petition filed by Moorthy who is employed as a cook with the Adi Dravidar Welfare Department. The petition was filed after the special tahsildar of the department Zahir Hussain failed to pay the salary and arrears even after the court had passed an order on the matter.
The judge said not paying the salary from 2018, even after an order of the court in 2020, till date, is illegal, unjust, irrational and violative of Article 21 of the Constitution of India. “As such... the respondent has committed wilful disobedience of the order passed by this court and he is liable for punishment under the provisions of the Contempt of Courts Act,” Justice Battu Devanand said in an order on Wednesday.
The judge sentenced the tahsildar to simple imprisonment for six months with a fine of Rs 2,000.
Pointing out that attempts made by the tahsildar by making a false statement through his counsel on August 12, 2022, in the contempt proceedings, stating the salary was paid and sought time to settle arrears, the judge said making such false statements across the Bench and filing a false affidavit on oath before the court amounts to criminal contempt. He directed the registry to file a criminal contempt case against Hussain and place it before the court having a portfolio to deal with criminal contempt cases.
Dainik Bhaskar editor apologises for peddling fake news, gets advance bail
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