Judge reveals attempt to influence case
Kurukshetra, July 22
A case of trying to influence the court of an Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) in Kurukshetra by persons claiming to be staffers of two Union ministers and seeking a long adjournment in a cheque-bounce case has come to light.
Were seeking long adjournment
An order, dated July 6, of the court of ASJ Ashu Kumar Jain read: “The appellants have been trying to approach this court by repeated phone calls in the name of Union ministers from different mobile numbers in order to prevail upon this court to adjourn the case to a long date.”
The attempts have been made in the case of M/s Shyam Overseas and Ors. versus Haryana Agro Industries Corp. Ltd.
An order, dated July 6, of the court of ASJ Ashu Kumar Jain read: “The appellants have been trying to approach this court by repeated phone calls in the name of Union ministers from different mobile numbers in order to prevail upon this court to adjourn the case to a long date.”
Three persons had filed an application against their conviction in a criminal complaint under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act in 2018.
The order of the ASJ read: “I am of the considered opinion that the application dated June 1, moved by the appellants for staying further proceedings in the present appeal till finalisation of the arbitration proceedings is not maintainable and the same is, hereby, dismissed.”
After dismissing the application, the judge mentioned how efforts were made by the appellants to influence the court. The order read that on June 28, a phone call was received by the undersigned and the caller woman introduced herself as the personal secretary of the Union Food Processing Minister. She requested for a long adjournment in the present case. She was told that the matters were decided in the courts on merits and not on the basis of recommendations.
“However, the appellants did not relent. Another call was made to the undersigned on July 1, in which the caller introduced himself as the personal secretary of the Union Law Minister and requested for a long adjournment in the case. He was also told that such-like recommendations are not appreciable and the case would be dealt with as per merits,” the order stated, further adding that, “today also, seven calls were received on the mobile number of the undersigned. As the undersigned did not pick the calls, the appellants got an SMS sent from the said mobile number.”
The sender claimed to be Sachin Shinde, personal secretary of Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal. He sought the next date five to six months later in the case. As the undersigned had blocked the aforesaid mobile number, the appellants started making calls from another mobile number. After avoiding three calls from the said mobile number, the undersigned picked the fourth call, only to find that it was the same person claiming himself to be the personal secretary of the Union Law Minister. As such, the caller was rebuked and warned of criminal proceedings if he called the undersigned again,” the order read.
The order’s copy was sent to District and Sessions Judge, Kurukshetra, for necessary action.
