Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, June 7. The Court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Shalini Nagpal today referred the contempt of court proceedings against Patiala Jail Superintendent LS Jakhar to the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The court announced the decision making use of Section 15 (2) of the Contempt of Court Act. “Let the reference be made to the High Court in the case,” stated the order.
The court had issued had show-cause notice to Jakhar on March 27 after he returned the execution warrants to hang Balwant Singh Rajoana, former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh’s assassin, twice.
While issuing the notice, the judge had come down heavily on Jhakhar and said returning the death warrants was an intend to interfere with the due course of judicial proceedings and to obstruct the administration of justice. While pronouncing the orders today, the court stated that the superintendent had filed an unconditional apology in the case.
Earlier while arguing in the court yesterday, Anupinder Singh Grewal, counsel for Jhakhar, said: “According to Section 772 of the jail manual, the superintendent is empowered to return the original warrant for execution of sentence of death in case of delay in its execution”.
“He was in fact assisting the court in administration of justice by following the directions of the Supreme Court. His action cannot in any manner be constituted as amounting to contempt of court,” he added.
