Nainital, May 6 (PTI) The Uttarakhand High Court on Wednesday issued a contempt notice to former Kichha MLA Rajesh Shukla for allegedly circulating remarks that undermined the dignity of the judiciary regarding delayed municipal elections.
Justice Rakesh Thapliyal issued the notice through the district magistrate of Udham Singh Nagar after taking note of a video and pamphlets allegedly circulated by Shukla. The materials allegedly indicated a possible withdrawal of the case due to repeated adjournments.
“This is a court of law, not a film,” the court observed as Shukla appeared during the proceedings. The bench stated that remarks undermining judicial dignity are unacceptable and clarified that the matter will be decided after hearing all parties.
It also noted that the hearings on the matter are being conducted on a weekly basis.
The court was hearing a batch of petitions, including a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Mohammad Yaseen and others from Siroli Kala, Udham Singh Nagar, along with Shukla’s. The petitioners sought early elections following the expiry of the municipal body’s tenure.
During the hearing, the secretary of the State Election Commission appeared via video conferencing. The official submitted an affidavit stating the Commission is ready to conduct elections, but cited certain issues causing the delay.
The court expressed dissatisfaction with the Commission’s explanation.
An administrator currently manages the council, petitioners said, claiming that this has hampered essential public works in the region. It stated that Siroli Kala has been part of the Kichha Municipal Council since 2018. Residents have opposed a proposed move to separate the area after development works worth Rs 5 crore were executed. PTI COR AKY PRK
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