Ex-Home Secretary gets summons in contempt case

A Division Bench comprising Justice KK Sasidharan and Justice MV Muralidharan, before whom the contempt petition came up for hearing, said, “When the contempt petition came up for hearing on March 21, 2017, the Special Government Pleader took time to get instructions. Even today, the additional advocate general seeks time. Hence, issue statutory notice to Apurva Verma, the then Home Secretary.” 

The issue pertains to Kannan’s name being wrongly excluded in the regulation promotion for 199394 and his request for inclusion being rejected. Based on this, he approached the High Court, seeking to include his name in the promotion list. 

Though a single judge dismissed his plea, an appeal before a division Bench, led to an order on November 19, 2014, directing the then Home Secretary Apurva Verma to consider and pass revival order within three months. The order was also communicated to the Home Secretary on January 10, 2015, itself by the petitioner. However, the same was not complied with leading to the present contempt petition.