Maharashtra: The Supreme Court on Friday ordered that the Maharashtra Transport Minister Surupsingh Naik and the State Additional Chief Secretary Ashok Khot should be arrested for disobeying the court.
Naik and Khot have been given one month simple imprisonment for contempt of court.
The decision came after the Supreme Court dismissed a petition that they filed on Wednesday seeking a review on the court's order.
A three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice Y K Sabharwal, Justice Arijit Pasayat and Jutice S H kapadia also dismissed their application seeking suspension of the sentence.
Naik and Khot were found guilty of disobeying the 1997 Supreme Court orders directing closure of all mills by permitting six saw mills to operate in the reserved forest area of Maharashtra in April 2004.
The Supreme Court in 1997 had said that all such mills in the Mahrashtra's green belt must shut down as they not only damaged the environment but also the greenery of the area.
In 2004, Naik was the Mahrashtra forest minister and Khot, the State's Principal forest secretary.
The court found them guilty of inserting notes in officials files to circumvent the Supreme Court orders.
In their review petitions, they tendered an unconditional apology and Naik even took the plea that the mills were granted a license by the Union Government and that he was not in the picture at all.
He also took the plea of old age.
Ashok Khot had contended that it was purely a political decision and he only carried out the orders of his political master.
Rejecting their unconditional apologies the court had said, "We are sorry to say that the court does not subscribe to 'slap-say sorry, and forget' school of thought."
The court had also observed that the feeling of sorrow should not come from mouth but it should come from heart.
The court had also rejected the contention of the minister that he had studied only upto secondary level and was a member of scheduled tribe category.
(With inputs from UNI)
Comments
0 comment