Date:03/12/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/12/03/stories/2006120313260400.htm

New Delhi

Delhi High Court issues contempt notices

Staff Reporter

To the Registrar of Co-operative Societies

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has issued contempt of court notices to the Registrar of Co-operative Societies, Delhi, and the president and secretary of New Jai Bharat Group Housing Society at Dwarka in West Delhi.

Justice Ravinder Bhat of the High Court issued the notices on a petition by the New Bharat Residents' Welfare Association, a body of some members of the Society, accusing the Registrar of not holding an inquiry into financial and administrative irregularities allegedly committed by office-bearers of the erstwhile managing committee of the Society and the latter of not holding elections to the committee.

On a petition by the Association, a Division Bench of the High Court comprising Justice M. K. Sharma and Justice Reva Khetrapal had on May 11 this year directed the Registrar to personally hold an inquiry into allegations of financial and administrative irregularities by the office-bearers of the committee.

The Bench had also issued directions to the erstwhile management of the Society to hold elections to the cooperative body.

Counsel for the petitioner, Surat Singh, submitted that the Registrar had not conducted any inquiry so far into the allegations levelled by his client against the office-bearers of the managing committee in the earlier petition and the committee had failed to hold the elections as directed by the Court.

Dr. Singh submitted that instead of holding the elections, the managing committee approached the Registrar for a stay, and the Registrar obliged it.

He further submitted that it was surprising that an administrative body had stayed the High Court directions knowing it very well that the Court is superior to it.

Justice Bhat directed the petitioner to file replies to the contempt petition by January 18, 2007.