Srinagar, April 29: In defiance of its orders, the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh has issued bailable warrant against Managing Director (MD) of Tourism Development Corporation (TDC) in Srinagar to secure his presence before it.
Justice Moksha Khajuria Kazmi while issuing bailable warrant in the amount of Rs.50,000 for securing the presence of MD, TDC asked the concerned Station House Officer to execute the warrant and produce MD before it on May 15.
Hearing a contempt plea seeking payment of dues, the court had granted one week’s time as a “final” opportunity to the respondents to file their compliance report, failing which MD, TDC was directed to appear before it.
The respondents had submitted that for making payment, codal formalities are to be complied with and it is because of non-compliance of codal formalities that the payment could not be made.
The court said that it is the responsibility of the respondents who have to comply with the codal formalities while making payment and not the petitioner.
“The petitioner cannot be made to suffer on account of inaction of respondents in fulfilling the codal formalities,” the bench had said.
Today when the matter came up for hearing, Justice Kazmi said, “Today neither any exemption application has been filed nor has respondent No. 02 (MD, TDC) chosen to appear before this Court.”
The government advocate Ilyas Laway submitted that the order passed on March 31, this year was communicated to MD, TDC by him and the Registry.
As a result, the court directed the Registry to issue a bailable warrant for the sum of Rs. 50,000 to secure the presence of MD, TDC before the court.
However, the court granted a final opportunity of two weeks’ time to respondents to file the compliance report strictly in conformity with the order dated February 03, 2023.
The court listed the matter for hearing on May 15, and a reply has been directed to be filed in the meantime.
