Supreme Court orders poll-busy Azam Khan to appear in High Court Today
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to exempt UP minister Azam Khan from personally appearing before the Allahabad High Court in connection with a case involving the state Jal Board and asked the poll-busy minister to appear before it and explain his position.
“See how much court time is wasted. You are not an ordinary person. The High Court has refused to grant personal exemption as it feels you are hoodwinking the court that bailable warrant cannot be served on you,” a three-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India JS Khehar said turning down his plea.
The Allahabad High Court had issued a bailable warrant against the minister after he failed to appear. That prompted him to rush to the top court for relief. His plea for an urgent hearing was mentioned on an out of turn basis by senior advocate Kapil Sibal.
The bench listed the case for hearing in the afternoon. Sibal said that the minister was busy with the elections underway in the state and hence could not appear in the court.
He said that his client was willing to now appear on any day in the court.
Defending him in the second half, senior advocate V. Giri said that now that the election process was over he was willing to appear before the HC. Khan, ex-officio chairman of the Board, was asked to appear before the High Court at 2 pm on March 8, in connection with a case of financial malfeasance involving the Board.
Giri argued that though Khan had told the court that he was willing to appear but wouldn’t be able to do so due to the Assembly polls and sought more time to appear, the court had on March 1 refused to exempt him from personally appearing. Instead, it had issued a bailable warrant to secure his presence on March 6.
The High Court had also asked the chief judicial magistrate and the SSP of Lucknow to appear before it today and explain why action shouldn’t be taken against them for not giving effect to the bailable warrant against the SP minister.
“See how much court time is wasted. You are not an ordinary person. The High Court has refused to grant personal exemption as it feels you are hoodwinking the court that bailable warrant cannot be served on you,” a three-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India JS Khehar said turning down his plea.
The Allahabad High Court had issued a bailable warrant against the minister after he failed to appear. That prompted him to rush to the top court for relief. His plea for an urgent hearing was mentioned on an out of turn basis by senior advocate Kapil Sibal.
The bench listed the case for hearing in the afternoon. Sibal said that the minister was busy with the elections underway in the state and hence could not appear in the court.
He said that his client was willing to now appear on any day in the court.
Defending him in the second half, senior advocate V. Giri said that now that the election process was over he was willing to appear before the HC. Khan, ex-officio chairman of the Board, was asked to appear before the High Court at 2 pm on March 8, in connection with a case of financial malfeasance involving the Board.
Giri argued that though Khan had told the court that he was willing to appear but wouldn’t be able to do so due to the Assembly polls and sought more time to appear, the court had on March 1 refused to exempt him from personally appearing. Instead, it had issued a bailable warrant to secure his presence on March 6.
The High Court had also asked the chief judicial magistrate and the SSP of Lucknow to appear before it today and explain why action shouldn’t be taken against them for not giving effect to the bailable warrant against the SP minister.
