Show-cause notice to Amritsar Deputy Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Khaira
Amritsar, January 25
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has issued a show-cause notice to Deputy Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Khaira, while asking him why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against him.
The notice was issued following a contempt petition filed in court by Kotak Mahindra Bank authorities regarding district administration’s failure in complying with its orders in January 2020.
The High Court had ordered the DC to pass necessary instructions in connection with a case regarding the possession of properties of a loan defaulter under Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest (SRFAESI) Act within 30 days of the order.
Now, the court has asked the DC to appear before it on March 17 to file his reply.
Bank lawyer Sandeep Kapur said the application for possession of properties of loan defaulter was pending with the Deputy Commissioner-cum-district magistrate for the past over three years.
Giving details of the case, Sandeep Kapur along with former secretary of Amritsar Bar Association Inderjit Singh Ari on Tuesday said Tarn Taran resident Sukhdev Singh had taken loan of Rs40 lakh for expanding his garment business in 2014. He mortgaged his three properties with the bank. Nevertheless, Sukhdev Singh failed to pay instalments after several months with around Rs32 lakh were still pending against his name. He said the bank filed a case under SRFAESI Act with the DC court. As the administration failed to act in the case, they filed a petition in the High Court in 2019, which was disposed in January 2020. But for the past around two years, the DC again failed to act on the file despite repeated reminders.
Last year, the bank filed a contempt case with the High Court which scheduled January 19, 2022, for hearing. But, the duty magistrate ADC on January 18, just a day before, passed the necessary orders for occupation of properties. But the High Court has now issued a show-cause notice seeking his reply as to why it was delayed for two years.
In a nutshell
- A bank filed a case under SRFAESI Act with the DC court. As the administration failed to act, they filed a petition in the High Court in 2019, which was disposed in January 2020. But for the past around two years, the DC again failed to act on the file despite repeated reminders
- Last year, the bank filed a contempt case with the High Court which scheduled January 19, 2022, for hearing. But, just a day before, the duty magistrate ADC on January 18, passed the necessary orders for occupation of properties. But the High Court has now issued a show-cause notice seeking his reply as to why it was delayed for two years