Two Ex-Ministers Guilty of Contempt

Mufti’s Colleagues Asked To Show Why They Should Not Be Punished

SRINAGAR- The State High Court has found two former ministers and an ex-director of finance in contempt for flouting orders passed by a double bench in August 2004 about an out-of-turn promotion granted to an official of the drug control authority.

Justice Bashir Ahmad Kirmani has issued notices to former minister of health, Suman Lata Bhagat, her deputy. Abdul Ghaffar Sofi, and former director finance, Muhammad Yousuf Dar, asking them to show cause why they should not be punished for suppressing orders from a double bench quashing the promotion and calling for a fresh appointment to the drug controller's post in Kashmir.

The court's order came after a con-tempt petition filed by a senior officer, Mushtaq Ahmad Khatueeb, who was then the assistant drug analyst, and had already won legal battles before the single bench and the double bench against the promotion of assistant drug controller Nazir Ahamad Wani to the post of drug controller. Kashmir, during Mufti Muhammad Sayeed's stint as chief minister.

Khatueeb’s lawyer, Muhammad Yousuf Bhat, said that the former ministers and officers of the health department had not only brazenly violated court orders but that the former minister of state for health, Abdul Ghaffar Sofi, had concealed the court orders in his almirah to show undue favour to Nazir Ahmad Wani. The Lawyer said that the former minister implemented orders from a single and double bench for several months, because of which Wani continued on drug controller’s post illegally.

Apart from two ministers, a show cause notice has been sent to Wani as well.

All the four have been directed to appear in the court on July 30.