SC stays arrest warrant against top officials

From our correspondent
Itagar, September 8: The Supreme Court on Monday stayed the arrest warrant issued by the Gauhati High Court on September 2 last against Aruchal Pradesh chief secretary Ramesh Negi, DGP S Nithiyandam and SP (SIT) R Mompa. The warrants were issued by a division bench of the high court comprising acting Chief Justice K Sreedhar Rao and Justice P K Saikia against the top officials because of their failure to turn up as respondents for a public interest litigation case filed by one Khyoda Ram in the Itagar Bench of Gauhati High Court against the state in 2013 seeking the details of officers prosecuted in the Rs 1,000-crore public distribution system scam. Sources on Tuesday said that the arrest orders were issued “without considering the affidavits of the respondents” which were given earlier. At the time of the order on September 2, the Gauhati High Court Bar Association’s ban on the acting Chief Justice’s court was in place. It was recently lifted on September 4 after the court constituted a committee to redress their grievances. Negi and the other respondents filed a special leave petition (SLP) and the matter was listed today at the apex court which stayed the non-bailable warrant. Earlier last month, the Gauhati High Court had issued an order directing a CBI inquiry into allegations of corruption against chief minister bam Tuki. Tuki was similarly given respite by the Supreme Court which stayed the high court order after he had filed a SLP.