The High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh provided a two-day window for Shyambir Singh, the deputy commissioner of Ganderbal, to decide whether to issue an apology in a criminal contempt case. The decision was made during a hearing on Monday, with the case scheduled to continue on August 14.
Justices Atul Sreedharan and Sanjeev Kumar, presiding over the division bench, granted Singh time to reflect on his willingness to submit an affidavit of apology and make a personal appearance before the subordinate court. This comes after Singh expressed in court that his actions were not intended to disrespect or undermine the dignity of the judiciary. “The contemnor orally submitted that whatever he did was not intentional,” the bench noted.
The contempt proceedings stem from allegations that Singh retaliated against Ganderbal sub-judge Fayaz Ahmad Qureshi after Qureshi ordered the attachment of Singh’s salary for non-compliance with a previous court ruling from October 2022. Qureshi accused Singh of using his administrative powers to harass and intimidate him, which included unsanctioned inspections of his property by government officials.
This legal challenge emphasizes the tension between administrative actions and judicial authority, with the judge describing Singh as a “constant potential threat” to the judiciary in his recommendation for administrative action under the Government Conduct Rules, 1971.
