In a significant move, the Allahabad High Court has issued a contempt notice to the Uttar Pradesh government, providing it one month to comply with a previous court order regarding the security concerns of a man threatened by the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. The court has set a strict timeline, warning that failure to comply could lead to contempt proceedings against Principal Secretary (Home) Sanjay Prasad.
Justice Piyush Agrawal issued the notice during the hearing of a contempt application filed by Abhishek Som from Meerut. The matter, now scheduled for the next hearing on May 19, stems from the state’s non-compliance with the court’s directive to address Som’s application for security measures.
The original order, dated January 31, required the petitioner to file a detailed representation with a state-level committee tasked with deciding on his security needs. Despite submitting his application on February 28, there has been no action, leading the court to conclude a prima facie case for contempt against the state officials.
The court emphasized the seriousness of the situation by stating, “From a perusal of the records of the case, a prima facie case for contempt is made out against the opposite party. Let us issue notice to the opposite party.”
Further stressing the urgency and the gravity of non-compliance, the court added, “However, in the interest of justice, one more opportunity is granted to the opposite party to comply with the court’s order within a period of one month and file an affidavit to the same effect.”
Should the state fail to meet the court’s demands by the specified date, Principal Secretary Sanjay Prasad must present himself before the court to explain the delay, facing possible contempt charges for willfully flouting the judicial order.
