Shimla: In the Priyanka Gandhi land deal case, the Himachal Pradesh High Court today summoned the state chief information commissioner and also stayed the proceedings in connection with information on the land purchase by Gandhi near ‘The Retreat’ official Retreat Residence of the President of India at Chharabra, Shimla.
A Division Bench, comprising Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan and Justice PS Rana, while hearing a contempt petition of Gandhi, issued a show-cause notice to Chief Information Commissioner Bhim Sen and Commissioner K.D Batish.
Bench asked Chief Information Commissioner Bhim Sen and Commissioner as to why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against them for disobeying the High Court orders. Listing the case for September 11, the court directed both Bhim Sen and Batish to remain present during the next hearing.
The Court also stayed the proceeding of state information commissioner.
The court had on 7th July stayed the commission’s June 29th order – directing Shimla district administration to divulge information on land purchased by Priyanka to RTI activist Dev Ashish Bhattacharya. However, the Commission on July 23rd, 2015, ordered government officials, including Deputy Commissioner Shimla, to appear before commission with records related to the land deal for August 20.
Priyanka Gandhi on August 3, files plea in High Court and sought stay on panel’s notices to Deputy Commissioner and other officials and on August 4, Congress national president’s daughter filed a contempt plea. In her contempt petition, Priyanka Gandhi said the contemnors had violated high court orders willfully.
