MANDI (Munish Sood)
The controversy surrounding IPS officer Ilma Afroz refuses to die down as the Himachal Pradesh government has now been staring at the initiation of contempt proceedings over her not being reappointed as the Baddi Superintendent of Police.
Advocate RL Chaudhary has filed a contempt petition in the Himachal Pradesh High Court, escalating the challenges for the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led Congress government.
The petition alleges that the Home Department of Himachal Pradesh and the Director General of Police (DGP) have disobeyed the High Court’s orders. The Home Secretary and the DGP have been named as respondents in the case.
The contempt petition refers to earlier High Court orders from two cases that explicitly instructed the government not to transfer IPS officer Ilma Afroz from her post as the SP of Baddi.
Violation of the High Court’s orders?
Despite these directives, Ilma Afroz was not reinstated to her post after returning from long leave and was instead assigned to the police headquarters in Shimla. The petition contends that the government’s actions are in “violation of the High Court’s orders”.
The matter began when IPS officer Ilma Afroz went on leave following a reported disagreement with a ruling party leader during her tenure as the Baddi SP.
Upon her return, she was not reinstated to her original post. Earlier, the Himachal Pradesh High Court had, on its own motion, directed the government to ensure that Ilma Afroz was not transferred from her position in Baddi.
Despite these instructions, she was reassigned to the police headquarters, leading to the filing of this contempt petition.
Could Ilma Afroz too face legal consequences?
While the contempt petition is directed at the government, it also points out that IPS Ilma Afroz would require court approval before accepting a posting elsewhere.
If she had expressed unwillingness to continue her duties at Baddi, it could potentially be seen as “contravening the High Court’s orders”.
Advocate RL Chaudhary has alleged that some senior officials in the government were disregarding the High Court’s directives. “This prompted the filing of the contempt petition, which is now under judicial review,” he said.
Case under Justice Trilok Chauhan’s Bench
The matter related to Ilma Afroz’s appointment is currently being heard in the Himachal High Court. Initially, Chief Justice Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia and Justice Satyendra Vaidya handled the case, but it has since been reassigned to the bench of Justice Trilok Singh Chauhan and Justice Sushil Kukreja.
The next hearing is scheduled for February 28. With court proceedings currently on hold due to winter vacation, the filing of the contempt petition has added fresh urgency to the matter.
