Ensure presence of CBSE regional officer, HC tells Panchkula police chief
Saurabh Malik
Chandigarh, January 15
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the Commissioner of Police, Panchkula, to ensure the presence of the Central Board of Secondary Education’s regional officer before the Bench on January 20 – the next date of hearing in a contempt of court case.
The direction by Justice Arvind Singh Sangwan of the High Court came just over a fortnight after a notice was issued to the regional officer, asking him to show cause why proceedings under the Contempt of Courts Act be not initiated against him, besides imposition of costs as prayed for.
The case revolving around the change of a student’s name in a certificate has its genesis in an order passed by the High Court on July 21, 2022. In her petition against the Board, student Purva Kahol, through counsel Puneet Sharma, had contended that she passed her matriculation examination in May 2018. But her name in the certificate was wrongly recorded as “Purva”. Her petition, filed after the rejection of her application for name correction, was initially allowed vide judgment September 3, 2019, and the rejection order dated October 3, 2018, was quashed.
Her request on the basis of the judgment was rejected again vide order dated October 5, 2019, resulting in the filing of the second petition. Taking up the matter, Justice Sudhir Mittal had then observed the petitioner evidently was normally known as “Purva Kahol” but the surname was not mentioned.
Subsequently, her father completed the requirements, including publication in the official gazette and affidavit in this regard. All these documents were also supplied to the CBSE. Yet, the correction was refused, Justice Mittal had added while allowing the petition and quashing the impugned order dated November 5, 2019.
The respondents were also directed to issue the corrected certificate within four weeks. Appearing before the Bench during the hearing of the contempt petition filed subsequently, counsel Sharma said that despite the quashing of the impugned order and directions for the issuance of the corrected certificate within the specified period, needful had not been done by the respondents. As such, the regional officer was liable to be punished under the Contempt of Courts Act and the petitioner awarded exemplary costs.
Acting on the plea, Justice BS Walia of the High Court had on December 23, 2022, called for compliance report-cum-reply. Justice Sangwan, during the resumed hearing of the matter, observed compliance affidavit had not been filed, despite the previous order. Fixing the case for January third week, Justice Sangwan issued the directions to the Police Commissioner.
