(MOREPIC1)Subhash Jindal/Chandigarh
Panjab and Haryana High Court issues Contempt Notices to Seema Jain, Principal Secretary, Darshan Singh Sidhu, Additional Director, Department of Technical Education and Industrial Training, as well as Harjot Bains, Chairman of Board of Governors of Baba Hira Singh Bhattal Institute of Engineering and Technology, Lehragaga (Sangrur).
The Bench of Justice Arvind Singh Sangwan of the High Court has issued notices to (i) Seema Jain, Principal Secretary; (ii) Darshan Singh Sidhu, Additional Director, Department of Technical Education and Industrial Training, as well as to (iii) Harjot Bains, Chairman of Board of Governors of Baba Hira Singh Bhattal Institute of Engineering and Technology, Lehragaga (Sangrur) for 28.09.2023, in a Contempt Petition filed by Sunatya Kumar.
The petitioner has alleged that he, along with other staff of Baba Hira Singh Bhattal Institute of Engineering and Technology, Lehragaga (Sangrur) have not been paid salary from 16.12.2019 onwards.
He also alleged that Hon’ble High Court had passed an order dated 16.05.2023 in a writ petition filed by him vide which the respondents were directed to dispose of the property of the aforesaid Institute, in order to pay the salary to the petitioner (and other staff ) within a period of one month from the said date.(SUBHEAD)
However, despite reminders and not withstanding the lapse of more than 2 months, respondents have not ensured the payment of salary to the petitioner. Thus, the petitioner, through Counsel, Ms. Sunaina (appearing for Advocate H.C. Arora), contended that the respondents have committed a contempt of the order dated 16.05.2023 passed by the Hon’ble High Court.
It is pertinent to state that Harjot Bains, the Minister for Technical Education in the Govt. of Punjab is also the Chairman of the Board of Governors of Baba Hira Singh Bhattal Institute of Engineering and Technology, Lehragaga (District Sangrur) and Seema Jain, Principal Secretary, Department of Technical Education and Industrial Training is also a Member of the Board of Governors of the aforesaid Institute.
Vide the aforesaid order, the Contempt Court has directed the respondents to file a compliance affidavit, at least one week before the next date of hearing, failing which the respondent/officer concerned shall remain present in person before the Court on the next date of hearing.
