SC holds top WB officials guilty of contempt of court

New Delhi, Mar 9 (UNI) The Supreme Court today held four top officials of the West Bengal government guilty of contempt of Calcutta High Court for allotting liquor shops in violation of the High Court's orders and severely censored them for their conduct.

The officers are Raghabendra Singh, Principal Secretary, Excise Department, Tallen Kumar, Excise Commissioner, Manoj Kumar Pant, District Magistrate, District 24 Parganas, and Parvez Siddique, Additional District Magistrate.

A Bench, comprising Justices A R Lakshmanan and Altamas Kabir, today cancelled all the auctions held on March 20, 21 and 22, 2005 and directed the four officers not to allow the successful bidders to continue the business and submit a report to this court of strict compliance.

Holding that the four officials have acted deliberately to subvert the orders of the High Court, the apex court concluded, ''It is equally necessary to erase an impression which appears to be gaining ground that the mantra of unconditional apology is a complete answer to violations and infractions of the orders of the High Court or of this court. We, therefore, hold them guilty of contempt of court and do hereby censor their conduct.'' The court, however, took a lenient view considering the future of the officers and warned them not to repeat their conduct in the future.

UNI