The Punjab and Haryana High Court issued bailable warrant against IAS officer Sangeeta Tetarwal (2013 batch, Haryana cadre), the Municipal Commissioner of Ambala, to prompt her into presenting herself before the HC bench on a ‘contempt of court’ case. Justice Rajbir Sehrawat (Punjab & Chandigarh HC) also imposed a fine of Rs. 10,000 on the officer. The Justice asserted that this cost was being imposed as the respondent had defaulted.
The contentious issue arose after Mr. Narinder Pal Mal, a resident of Ambala, alleged that an order passed by the high court was being deliberately violated by the IAS officer, amounting to contempt of court. The complainant said that the authorities were causing forceful and illegal obstruction in stopping the construction on a plot owned and possessed by him.
The petition was disposed of by directing the Ambala Municipal Commissioner to decide the representation filed by the petitioner (Mr. Mal) after granting him a personal hearing. The petitioner then alleged that the time granted by the high court had been exceeded, but no action had been taken in the order’s compliance.
