SC adjourns hearing on Allahabad HC sitting Judges

New Delhi, Jun 2 (UNI) The Supreme Court today adjourned the hearing of a PIL seeking initiation of contempt of court proceedings against two sitting Judges of the Allahabad High Court for allegedly ''humiliating and harassing'' a lawyer who died in judicial custody on May 13, this year.

A vocation bench comprising Justices C K Thakker and Lokeshwar Singh Panta adjourned the hearing awaiting the outcome of the PIL already pending in the High Court.

Counsel for Uttar Pradesh government told the apex court the High Court was already seized of the matter and the District and Sessions Judge, Allahabad, had already been directed to inquire into the matter and submit his report to the High Court by June 10. He has already submitted a preliminary report.

A compensation of Rs 3 lakh has already been paid to Neelima Awasthi, widow of Shrikant Awasthi--the lawyer who died in jail.

One lakh has been paid to her by cheque in addition to Rs 2 lakh in the form of Fixed Deposit Return (FDR).

The Uttar Pradesh government was also considering a proposal for giving a job to the widow.

Petitioner Aelteimesh Rein in his plea has alleged Shrikant Awasthi was produced in handcuffs before Justices B S Chauhan and Arun Tandon of the Allahabad High Court and his legs were in fetters when he was in hospital.

UNI SC HS AS1610