New Delhi, April 28 (IANS) The Delhi High Court on Friday asked Mandoli jail authorities to give a hearing on the ‘punishment ticket’ issued to alleged conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar, arrested for fraud and a Rs 200 crore money laundering case, depriving him of the canteen facility for 15 days.
A lawyer for the Delhi government stated that a post-facto hearing would be provided to the accused after which a new decision will be made in accordance with the law on the second punishment handed to Chandrashekhar stopping him from the “mulaqat” (meeting/phone call facility.
While disposing of the petition, Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma said: “Without going into the issue of minor and major punishment and particularly in view of the fact that the matter is pending before the Supreme Court, let a post facto hearing be given for punishment no. 1 (stoppage of canteen facility).”
The alleged conman is lodged in the national capital’s Mandoli Jail.
The High Court had, on Wednesday, issued notice on Chandrasekar’s plea against punishment handed to him by jail authorities.
Starting from May 1 till 15, the jail authorities’ order stopped him from meeting family, using phone and canteen facilities.
It was Chandrashekhar’s prayer before the court to set aside and quash the order dated April 17 passed by the office of the Jail Deputy Superintendent of Prison, Mandoli and put a stay on it until the adjudication of the instant petition as the two punishment tickets were issued to him without hearing him.
On Chandrashekhar’s plea, Justice Sharma had issued notice to the jail authorities and directed them to file a report on the matter.
Appearing for the petitioner (Chandrashekhar), advocate Anant Malik had argued that principle of natural justice is being violated and that it is a serious issue as the family of the petitioner’s mother resides in Bengaluru.
There is an urgency and the punishment should be stayed, Malik had said.
The plea said that the Jail’s Deputy Superintendent has arbitrarily, erroneously and without any application of mind, awarded two punishment tickets against the petitioner, depriving him of the canteen facility and the mulaqat/phone call facility for 15 days.
It was contended by the petitioner that these restricted facilities are the only ways to communicate with his aged mother, who is currently residing in Bengaluru and cannot travel to meet her son due to her health condition.
–IANS
spr/vd
