The High Court of Karnataka on Tuesday cautioned the Principal Secretary of the Department of Minority Welfare that it would frame charges against him for contempt of court if a report on encroachment of Wakf properties in the State was not placed before the State legislature within four weeks or if he failed to secure a modification or stay on the undertaking given to the court in 2015 for placing the report before the legislature.
A Division Bench comprising Justice Raghvendra S. Chauhan and Justice B.M. Shyam Prasad passed the order on a contempt of court petition filed by one S.K. Kantha.
On Tuesday, the Principal Secretary said the petition filed by the government seeking review of the undertaking was pending for adjudication before the High Court, and hence there was no need for implementing the undertaking.
However, the Bench made it clear that the undertaking given on September 10, 2015 was valid as the Division Bench before which the review petition was pending had neither stayed nor modified the 2015 order.