Allahabad High Court judge recuses self from hearing criminal contempt plea against IAS officer

The case will be listed on September 9 before another bench that does not include Justice Pramod Kumar Srivastava.

Justice Pramod Kumar Srivastava of the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court on Thursday recused himself from hearing the criminal contempt plea filed against IAS officer Durga Shakti Nagpal, currently serving as Devipatan divisional commissioner.

Allahabad High Court, where the criminal contempt plea against IAS officer Durga Shakti Nagpal was heard. (HT File Photo)

The division bench of Justice Abdul Moin and Justice Pramod Kumar Srivastava passed the order on a criminal contempt application filed suo motu. Nagpal has been made the opposite party in the petition.

The division bench said in the order that this case should be listed on September 9 before another bench, after obtaining nomination from the chief justice or the senior judge, in which Justice Pramod Kumar Srivastava is not a member.

Last month, the Lucknow bench of the high court took serious note of an alleged phone call by the officer to civil judge (senior division) Shabina Khan, who was hearing a long-pending land dispute in Gonda.

The high court had stated that the matter warranted consideration under criminal contempt.