Srinagar: After Inspector General of Police, Traffic, Basant Rath told a Srinagar court that he was not privy to a restrain order issued by it to Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) and hence was not liable for contempt for demolition of canopy at the entrance of Jehangir Hotel, Counsel for him Tuesday pleaded for dismissal of a case against him stating that the police officer has been involved in a false and frivolous case.
Earlier a notice was issued to the IGP Traffic on 20 May 2018 by the court of Municipal Magistrate Srinagar asking him to show cause as to why contempt proceedings shall not be initiated against him in a case filed by owner of Jahangir Hotel.
The complainant, owner of the Jehangir Hotel, Shabir Ahmad Rangrez is seeking initiation of contempt proceedings against Rath, SMC officials, and police, for allegedly violating stay order in his favour and damaging his property at Jahangir Chowk.
Standing counsel for police headquarters and home department Mir Naveed Gul who represented Rath said, “The application filed by hotelier contains no valid grounds and that it is manifestly false, frivolous”.
He further added that the grounds in the petition filed are devoid of any merit adding that the entire case is false, frivolous, bogus and devoid of any merit. He added that the IG traffic was complying with the directions passed by Division Bench of High Court in a PIL titled Kashmir Consumer Welfare Vs State of J&K.
Counsel for Rath pleaded that Rath was never the party to the main case which has been invoked by the applicant for filing contempt proceedings. Hence the contempt application filed by petitioner deserves to be dismissed,” he told the court.
The counsel for petitioner sought adjournment to which counsel for Rath objected. Court listed the case for next hearing on September 20.
