Patna HC issues notice to office of Bihar CM over non-implementation of order

The Patna High Court has issued notice to the principal secretary to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expressing dismay over non-implementation of an order in which it had set aside the dismissal of a public prosecutor and issued directions for his reinstatement.

The order was passed by a single judge bench of Justice P B Bajanthri on Wednesday on the petition of Jai Prakash Mishra, who was dismissed from the post of public prosecutor in East Champaran district.

Mishra's dismissal was quashed by the court on December 21 last year and when he was not reinstated within the period of time specified in the order, he filed a contempt petition.

The court had last month sought a reply on the contempt petition from the joint secretary to the law department and imposed a cost of Rs 10,000.

On March 2, the joint secretary filed an affidavit seeking waiver of the cost and prayed for more time submitting that the law ministry had approved reinstatement of Mishra in January but the file has since been at the office of the chief minister.

Expressing displeasure, the court remarked "It is more than two months from the date of order and there is no compliance and the file is being tossed from one office to another". It directed the registry to issue a "special notice enclosing present order for compliance failing which adverse order would be passed".

The matter has been posted for hearing again on March 21.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)