Delhi HC sentences 2 PWD officials to jail for contempt post failing to follow orders

New Delhi, May 29 (IANS) The Delhi High Court has jailed two Public Works Department (PWD) employees for disobeying orders concerning the protection of trees issued by it and the National Green Tribunal (NGT).

The court was hearing a contempt plea by New Delhi Nature Society against the two officers – the Engineer-in-Chief and the Executive Engineer – who were convicted of contempt last year in the same case.

Justice Najmi Waziri noted that the officers had defied the court’s orders, and that such reluctance to uphold the law must result in punishment.

“In the circumstances, respondent nos.2 and 3 are hereby sentenced under section 12 of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971, to undergo simple imprisonment for a period of four months and two months respectively, along with fine of Rs 2,000 each,” the court ordered.

“Should this order not be altered or stayed, then upon the expiry of the ten weeks, the contemnors shall present themselves before the Registrar General of this court for them to be sent to judicial custody,” the court added.

The court was informed that several trees’ roots had been harmed by BSES Rajdhani’s installation of cable and pipeline lines along Bipin Chandra Marg and in the vicinity of Chittaranjan Park and that by doing so, the authorities had violated the orders passed by the high court and the green panel.