Art college asst prof fined Rs 10K

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 22

The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), Chandigarh Bench, has imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on an assistant professor of the Government College of Art, Sector 10, for filing a wrong’ contempt application’.

Dr Anand Kumar Sharma had filed the application in a matter in which he was not even a party.

As per the CAT’s latest order, AK Sharma had in the past challenged multiple appointments of acting principals of the college; one such matter is still pending in CAT. However, the case in which Sharma has been fined is titled ‘Manohar Lal vs Union of India and others’. Sharma, however, filed a contempt petition in the case for non-compliance of order.

The present order reads, “Not only that, the applicant has also wrongly sought action against the respondents, under the provisions of Contempt of Courts Act”.

It further reads, “No direction, of any kind, was issued which the respondents were required to comply with.”

CAT observed that Sharma has filed this ‘frivolous petition’ to exert pressure on the respondents to achieve his evil designs without any cause of action accruing to him.

‘Frivolous petitions to exert pressure on state on the rise’

The order has also pointed out, “As illogical as it may seem, but strictly speaking, the tendency and frequency of persons (like the petitioner) for filing frivolous contempt petitions, with an eye to put undue pressure on officers of the state, has been tremendously increasing day by day, which needs to be curbed  at the right earnest.”

The tribunal, thus, imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on Sharma, which he will pay to the UT Legal Services Authority. If he fails to do so, the pay disbursing authority is further directed to deduct the amount from Sharma’s salary for April.