HC warns state govt of severe contempt proceedings ag'st cops

Upset by the Maharashtra government's mild actions against two police officials for violating the court order, the Bombay High Court today warned the government of severe contempt proceedings against the two officials.
The bench of justices A S Oka and A K Menon expressed its displeasure over the "casual" approach in acting against the
Two police officials, accused of permitting the use of loudspeakers inside suburban Mahim police station during the dargah urs (fair) in breach of the court order.
While hearing the plea by by social activist Sumaira Abdulali, the bench had last month issued notices to the Mahim division's assistant commissioner of police and senior police inspector of Mahim police station asking as to why no contempt proceedings be initiated against them.

The court had also asked the state government to explain what actions it proposed against the two errant officers.
Additional government pleader Geeta Shastri today told the court that the letters of warning and displeasure have been issued by the police commissioner to the two officers.

"Does the state propose to do only this much? If the state is taking it so casually, then our contempt action against the two police officers will be more serious. If the government is going to take this so lightly, the police officers will keep repeating this every year," the court said.
"The police officers are giving permission to use loudspeakers inside the police station, which falls in a silence zone. This is a gross breach of our earlier orders, in which we have said no permission for loudspeakers can be given in silence zones," the court said.

The bench then posted the contempt petition for further hearing on June 9.