SRINAGAR — A senior government officer has been sent to one-week judicial custody by a local court in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag district for failing to comply with its order.
The court of Sub-Judge Feroz Ahmad Khan on Thursday sent Mohammad Rouf Rehman, a Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Services (JKAS) officer and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Verinag Development Authority, to judicial custody till October 15, 2025.
The judge directed the superintendent of district jail and the station house officer of Anantnag to produce Rehman before the court through video conferencing on October 15.
Following the court’s order, police detained Rehman and escorted him to a local hospital for a medical examination before lodging him in jail as per procedure.
The order was passed during the hearing of a petition filed by Hamidullah Bawani, who had cited non-payment of compensation awarded to him by a Lok Adalat.
Earlier, on September 9, the court had expressed displeasure over the officer’s non-compliance, observing that the CEO had “not even bothered to reply to the show cause notice issued by virtue of an order on March 4 this year.”
The court noted that despite being served with the earlier order, the officer failed to furnish any cause, implying that he had “no cause to show why he shall not be arrested and detained in a civil prison for non-payment of compensation passed in Lok Adalat in favour of Hamidullah Bawani, a resident of Mir Maidan, Dooru.”
The decree holder had sought execution of the award passed by the National Lok Adalat on March 14, 2015, along with enforcement of a subsequent order dated November 17, 2018.
During proceedings last month, counsel for the deputy commissioner and collector land acquisition, Anantnag — appearing as Judgment Debtors No. 2 and 3 — submitted that “it is Judgment Debtor No. 4 (CEO) who has to deposit the payment as per the decree passed by this court.” Taking note of the submissions, the court held that “it is Judgment Debtor No. 4 who has to deposit the payment to the decree holder.”
Meanwhile, officials said Rehman, who has been lodged in Kehribal district jail, was on Friday medically examined by the on-duty medical officer in accordance with jail rules. After the examination, the doctor referred him to Government Medical College, Anantnag, for specialised treatment. He was subsequently shifted to the hospital under proper escort, they added. — (PTI)