The Allahabad High Court has issued a show-cause notice to Uttar Pradesh Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Sanjay Prasad, directing him to explain why the court should not recommend legal action against him for failing to comply with judicial orders in a property misappropriation case.
A Lucknow bench consisting of Justice Abdul Moin and Justice Pramod Kumar Srivastava also ordered both Prasad and the state’s Chief Secretary to submit personal affidavits clarifying their positions. The judges warned that both high-ranking officials must appear in person before the court on July 15 if they fail to file the requested affidavits.
The ruling, which was delivered on May 20 and published on the court’s website on June 7, arises from a criminal writ petition filed by Gayatri Devi. The petitioner is seeking a proper investigation into a complaint registered on January 9, 2025, at the PGI police station in Lucknow, which includes allegations of cheating, dishonest misappropriation of property, and criminal breach of trust.
Slow Progress And Unresolved Arrests
The High Court expressed strong dissatisfaction with the slow pace of the police investigation, noting that the inquiry had failed to make any meaningful progress for over a year despite previous court directives and assurances from investigators. The bench pointed out that none of the four accused in the case have been arrested, an issue that the court had previously raised with concern in orders dated April 13 and April 29.
The bench issued the show-cause notice after identifying multiple inconsistencies in a personal affidavit submitted by Prasad on May 20. The judges remarked that the Home Secretary’s conduct prima facie suggested a lack of regard for court orders. They added that if a case actively monitored by the High Court itself was handled with such a casual approach, the status of other unmonitored police investigations in the state could easily be imagined.
Clarifications Demanded From Chief Secretary
The court has directed the Chief Secretary to address the shortcomings highlighted in its previous orders and clarify the state government’s official stance.
Additionally, the bench sought an explanation regarding an unauthorized instruction issued by Special Secretary Mahendra Singh. Singh had reportedly ordered Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Amit Kumar Anand to leave his official duties to attend the court proceedings, despite the fact that no judicial order had been issued requiring the police officer’s presence.
