Elections of Gurdwara Prabandhak Committees
STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: In a contempt petition filed by Satinder Singh for initiating contempt proceedings against respondents for not implementing judgment of the Court, whereby J&K High Court directed for initiating process of conducting elections to Gurdwara Prabandhak Committees in Union Territory, in accordance with provisions of the Act of 1973 expeditiously, Justice Puneet Gupta of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court, after hearing Satinder Singh in person, issued notice to Arun Kumar Mehta, Chief Secretary and Shaleen Kabra, Principal Secretary.
During course of hearing, petitioner submitted that a perusal of the aforementioned observations in the judgment above mentioned, passed by this Court makes it apparent that the respondents were bound to nominate fresh members of Committees from amongst the persons of high integrity and social standing, in terms of Rule 63-C of the above rules, by issuing a notification in this regard, so that the day to day affairs of the Gurdwaras in different districts of UT of J&K, falling under the jurisdiction of the concerned District Gurdwara Prabandhak Committees, are run smoothly. This notification of nominating fresh members was to be issued within a period of three weeks. The respondents were also directed to initiate the process of holding the elections expeditiously in terms of the aforementioned judgment passed by this Court.
That despite fact, that the aforementioned judgment was served on the respondents through speed post delivered on January 6, 2022, copy whereof is annexed, and period of three weeks as was fixed in the judgment within which the respondents had to issue the notification for nominating the fresh members of the Committees, having elapsed, nothing has been done by the respondents, as a result, the day to day religious affairs of different Gurdwaras under the District Gurdwara Prabandhak Committees in the Union Territory of J&K are suffering a lot, and the erstwhile members, who have already been held to be continuing to hold the affairs of different Gurdwaras unauthorizedly, in terms of aforementioned judgment, are still continuing as such as no notification in this regard has been issued by the respondents too. It is further submitted that respondents have till date not taken any step for initiating process of holding the elections for the District Gurdwara Prabandhak Committees of Union Territory of Jammu and & Kashmir, regarding which they were directed to initiate aforesaid process expeditiously, which makes it clear that the respondents have willfully disobeyed the directions so issued by the Court in terms of the judgment above, as such, are liable to be initiated contempt proceedings.