Uttarakhand HC issues contempt notices to Centre, AIIMS Delhi

The Uttarakhand High Court has issued notices to Union Health Secretary Preeti Sudan and AIIMS Delhi Director Randeep Guleria on a contempt petition filed by Indian Forest Service officer Sanjiv Chaturvedi in a case involving him. It has asked them to file their reply before July 26, asking why they should not be punished for contempt of court, according to the official orders.

The matter relates to an order passed by the high court on August 21, last year while hearing the case of Chaturvedi. In its order, the court had termed as "vindictive" the attitude of the central government and imposed on it a cost of Rs. 25,000.

The court was hearing Chaturvedi’s petition against an order passed by the chairman of Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), New Delhi, on July 27, 2018. The CAT chairman had stayed the proceedings of circuit bench of the tribunal in Nainital for a period of six weeks in the matter related to adverse entries into appraisal report of Chaturvedi, for the financial year 2015-16, when he was serving in AIIMS on central deputation.

Chaturvedi, a 2002 batch officer of IFS, had sought quashing of orders of the CAT chairman and directions to Nainital bench of the tribunal to allow its proceedings. However, the AIIMS challenged this order of the high court before the Supreme Court in October last year. On February 1, this year, the apex court not only upheld the orders of the high court but also the additional cost of Rs 25,000.

“Respondents have always acted with unprecedented haste while passing any illegal order or causing injury to petitioner, whether it be awarding zero gradings in 48 hours (for which statutory instructions provide a period of 3 months) or removal of petitioner from post of CVO, to protect influential corrupt accused, in which around 20 signatures were recorded in just 24 hours. However, when it comes to compliance of lawful directions of courts in favour of the petitioner, they are extremely slow/reluctant,” Chaturvedi’s plea read.

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