SC Stays Contempt Proceedings Against Union Min Ramesh Pokhriyal

Union Education Minister Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’.

(Photo: The Quint)

The Supreme Court of India on Monday, 26 October, stayed the Uttarakhand High Court’s contempt proceedings against Union minister Ramesh Pokhriyal for allegedly not paying rent for bungalow allotted to him by the government.

A bench headed by Justice RF Nariman stayed the contempt proceedings on a plea filed by the education minister.

The Uttarakhand High Court had on 3 May last year ordered the former chief ministers of the state to pay market rent for the entire period they continued to occupy government accommodation since exiting the office.

All orders from 2001 providing housing and other facilities to former chief ministers were declared illegal and unconstitutional by the court.

The high court had passed the order on a plea by a Dehradun-based NGO. After last year’s order, the NGO had filed a plea in the high court alleging non-compliance of the order.

According to PTI, the high court had directed that all amount due and payable towards amenities such as electricity, water, petrol, oil and lubricants provided by the state to the former chief ministers shall be computed by the state government within four months from the date of receipt of the copy of the order.

(With inputs from PTI)