CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court on Monday held the commissioner-cum-secretary of the school and mass education department, Aparajita Sarangi, guilty of contempt of court and imposed a fine of Rs 1000. The court ordered her to pay the fine within seven days, failing which she could be imprisoned for seven days.
The HC bench comprising Justices B P Das and B K Mishra awarded a similar punishment to the director of secondary education, Srikant Prusty, and Cuttack circle inspector, Brundaban Satapathy, for not complying with its order.
The case relates to a petition filed by a teacher, Swarnalata Dei, who had been fighting for approval of her service period. The HC in August 2010 had directed the school and mass education secretary to ante-date the teacher's appointment and provide her all other consequential benefits within a period of three months. But the authorities did not comply with the court's order even after several months. Irked by the callous attitude of the secretary and the director of secondary education, the petitioner moved the HC with a contempt petition. Responding to the petition, the court had ordered the department secretary and the two others to appear in person before the court on May 16. The three however were not present when the court pronounced the punishment.
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