Bhopal: HC Division Bench Stays Conviction Of 2 IAS Officers Within Hours Of Single Bench's Order

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The principal bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court High in Jabalpur on Friday awarded 7-day imprisonment to former Chhatarpur district collector Sheelendra Singh and former Chhatarpur district panchayat CEO Amar Bahadur Singh, convicting them in a contempt of court case. Hours later, the division bench stayed conviction of both the IAS officers.

The single bench had awarded 7-day imprisonment with fine of Rs 2,000 to the two IAS officers. High Court Judge Justice GS Ahluwalia had pronounced the verdict on Friday noon and found Sheelendra Singh and Amar Bahadur Singh guilty of showing contempt for court in a case related to transfer of district coordinator Rachna Dwivedi.

By evening on Friday, the court of Chief Justice Ravi Malimath and Justice Vikas Mishra stayed the conviction of both the IAS officers, counsel for Rachna Dwivedi Rameshwar Thakur told Free Press.

In 2017, district coordinator Rachna Dwivedi was transferred against the norms. The HC issued a stay order on the transfer twice but the officers did not execute it. Rather, they terminated Dwivedi’s services in 2021. She was a contractual employee.

After Dwivedi filed a plea, the High Court granted another stay on the order. As the then Chhatarpur district collector Sheelendra Singh and the then additional collector Amar Bahadur Singh did not follow the order, a contempt of court case was filed against them. The court had found both of them guilty and had pronounced the verdict.