Top officials of Bihar law department face contempt petition

Justice P B Bajanthri directed the secretary and joint secretary of the department to remain present before the court on the next date of hearing, March 31, to face the contempt petition.The state government is committing contempt in not executing the order dated December 21, 2021, the court said in an order on Monday.The court was hearing a contempt petition filed by Jai Prakash Mishra who was dismissed from the post of a public prosecutor in East Champaran district.

The Patna High Court has initiated contempt proceedings against two officers of the state law department for not obeying its order passed three months ago for reinstating a public prosecutor. Justice P B Bajanthri directed the secretary and joint secretary of the department to remain present before the court on the next date of hearing, March 31, to face the contempt petition.

“The state government is committing contempt in not executing the order dated December 21, 2021,'' the court said in an order on Monday.

The court was hearing a contempt petition filed by Jai Prakash Mishra who was dismissed from the post of a public prosecutor in East Champaran district. The high court on December 21 last year had set aside the dismissal and directed that he be reinstated. When Mishra was not taken back in his post within the period specified in the order, he filed a contempt petition. The court had 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, said Satish Chandra Mishra, the counsel for the petitioner.