Bhubaneswar: The Orissa High Court has stayed an order by the National Commission for Scheduled Tribe (NCST) directing personal appearance of Keonjhar Collector Ashish Thakare before the Commission.
The NCST had issued an arrest warrant against Thakare after he failed to appear despite panel’s repeated summons. The Commission had written to DG Police Sunil Kumar Bansal in this matter.
Hearing the matter on Monday, the Orissa High Court stated that it found a prima facie case in favour of the petitioner (Thakare). Senior Advocate Ashok Parija was representing Thakare in this case.
“Perused the complaint, notices so issued to the Collector involved herein, response pursuant to such notices by the Collector and the provision so relied on by Mr.Parija, learned Senior Advocate and this Court is of the prima facie opinion that there is exercise of power by the Commission beyond scope and limits under the Rule, 2021, this Court finds a prima facie case in favour of the petitioner,” the HC’s order issued by a single-Judge bench of Justice Biswanath Rath stated.
“In the process, this Court directs issue notice to the competent Department by speed post/registered post with A.D. to have their response on the allegation involved herein requisites for which shall be filed within a period of three working days. Counter, if any, be filed within a period of six weeks from the date of service of notice,” the order further read,
