Warrant against Indore collector for not turning up in court

INDORE: Two days after a local court of Gwalior issued an arrest warrant against Dindori collector for not attending hearing, Gwalior bench of high court issued a bailaable warrant against P Narhari, collector of Indore for not responding to a contempt case.
On Wednesday, Justice Alok Aradhe issued the warrant against Narhari when he did not respond to a contempt of court notice issued in September this year, said Narottam Sharma, counsel for petitioner Rekha Rajput, a resident of Gwalior.
The case dates back to 2014 when Rekha Rajput had challenged a fresh demarcation of her land at Rairu, an industrial area near Gwalior, by the district administration.
“Though Gwalior bench of high court ordered to maintain status quo, district administration went ahead with construction on Rajput’s land,” Sharma said.
“In a public hearing at office of collector, she had even informed Narhari, then posted as collector of Gwalior, about the decision, but he did not act. Later, she had filed a contempt case. But Narhari did not respond,” Sharma said.
On Wednesday, Justice Aradhe issued the warrant in the absence of Narhari and any of his representative and tehsildar DD Sharma.
Talking with TOI, Narhari said, “I give top most priority to court’s order. I don’t know how this had happened unknowingly. I have talked to the present collector in Gwalior for compliance.”
On December 7, Chavi Bharadwaj posted as Dindori district collector did not bother to respond to Gwalior court’s summons till an arrest warrant was issued to bring her to the court as a witness in the corruption case.
Additional public prosecutor Susendra Parihar said, “Additional Session Judge Gwalior HK Kaushik, issued the arrest warrant against Bharadwaj because she did not attend any hearing for last 18 months and had even ignored summons and warrant issued by the court.