Orissa High Court directs Shyam Baba Charitable Trust to deposit Rs 1.25 cr for contempt

Source: newindianexpress.com

CUTTACK:  The Orissa High Court has directed Shyam Baba Charitable Trust to deposit Rs 1.25 crore with the Collector of Cuttack by August 20, the next date of hearing on a contempt case filed against it.

The High Court had registered a suo moto contempt case after the Trust did not respond to notices issued on a PIL petition. The secretary of the Trust also did not respond to orders for appearing in person before the court. The Trust, a city-based religious, cultural and charitable organization, had constructed a temple in Alamchand Bazar area in 2013. 

The PIL petition was filed in 2015 by a resident of the locality Dr Debadutta Acharya for the demolition of the temple as it was allegedly constructed on Jalasaya Kissam land without approval from the Cuttack Development Authority (CDA). The Court had issued a notice seeking a reply from the Trust the same year. But it was found in March this year that no reply had been filed in all these years. The Court then issued fresh notices but there was no response. 

The secretary of the Trust did not respond even after he was directed by the Court to be personally present on several dates after the CDA filed an affidavit stating that the temple was constructed illegally without its approval. On July 12, the Court initiated suo moto contempt proceedings against the Trust secretary, but he did not appear before the Court till July 29. The Court then wanted to know the value of 300 decimal land on which the temple was constructed. 

Taking note of the value stated before the Court, a division bench of Chief Justice KS Jhaveri and Justice KR Mohapatra on Tuesday fixed August 20 as the next date for hearing on the contempt case and directed the Trust to deposit Rs 1.25 crore with the Cuttack Collector by then.