The Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court on Wednesday expressed its strong disapproval at the delay in payment of dues to a man by the Union Territory [Mohammad Afzal Reshi V/s Atul Dulloo (P.W.D) And Ors.]..A Bench of Justice Atul Sreedharan and Justice Puneet Gupta rejected the government advocate's submission that since the concerned minister is busy in the ongoing assembly session in Jammu, more time was required. It said that the petitioner has been waiting for his just dues for the past 14 years and the minister would be proceeded against for contempt of court if the order is not complied with. "The needful shall be done before the next date of hearing, failing which this Court shall be at liberty to make the Minister concerned as the contemnor No. 4 on the next date of hearing for creating hurdles in the compliance of the orders passed earlier," the Court ordered while listing the matter for hearing on March 14..The Bench was hearing a contempt petition filed by the late Mohammad Afzal Reshi, represented through his son, against the government for failing to comply with the Court order dated September 4, 2024.The Court had then ordered the State to release the outstanding payment to the petitioner for certain civil works carried out in 2015. It had also imposed costs of ₹9 lakh on the government officers.Since the payment was not made, the petitioner filed the present contempt plea. .Advocate Irfan Andleeb appeared for the petitioner. Government advocate Ilyas Laway appeared for the respondents.[Read Order]
