Single judge’s order sentencing IAS officer set aside

Madurai

The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court has set aside a single judge’s order sentencing IAS Officer Aneesh Sekhar, former Madurai Corporation Commissioner, to undergo simple imprisonment for one week for disobeying the court’s order.

A Division Bench of Justices N. Kirubakaran and B. Pugalendhi allowed the appeal preferred by Mr. Aneesh Sekhar against the single judge’s order of 2019 and set aside the sentence. The judge had sentenced him for failing to follow the court’s order pertaining to fixing the seniority list for the cadre of assistants in the civic agency.

However, the judge’s order had been modified by a Division Bench. When the court has passed a specific order and closed the contempt petition, the re-opening of the contempt petition by the single judge and the consequential conviction under The Contempt of Courts Act was bad in law, the Bench observed.

Taking into account the fact that the seniority list was issued by Madurai Corporation in 2018 in accordance with the judgement of the Division Bench of the court, the judges observed that the court was of the view that the order of the court was complied with and set aside the conviction and sentence.