Contempt notice to Sanjay Nirupam, 4 others

Mumbai, June 15 (UNI) The Bombay High Court has issued contempt notices to Pradesh Congress spokesman Sanjay Nirupam and four others for allegedly flouting a court order regarding 'Chhat Pooja', that was arranged by the Bihari Front last year.

Acting on a petition filed by social organisations espousing this cause of Juhu beach, a single Judge bench of Justice D K Deshmukh issued contempt notices to Sanjay Nirupam, Shatrughan Ramswaroop, General Secretary of Bihari Front, erstwhile collector of Mumbai S Zende, a senior Police Inspector of Juhu police station as well as an officer from Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai.

Through the notices, returnable after two weeks, the court has asked all the respondents to show cause as to why they should not be tried and punnished for contempt of the court.

The court has noted that, in order to circumvent an order of High Court, the organisers and other respondents have clearly and deliberately violated order of the High Court.

The High Court had granted conditional permission to the Bihari Front to perform Chhat Pooja at Juhu beach last year. But in order to avoid conditions imposed by the court, the organisers made ''a show'' that they were moving the venue to the border of the beach and obtained permission for using loudspeakers and flashing posters / banners, which were barred by the court while granting conditional permission.

UNI