A judge in Haryana’s Kurukshetra said that persons claiming to be “staffers of two Union ministers” tried to influence his court by making calls and sending text messages seeking long adjournment of a cheque bounce case, reported The Indian Express.
Kurukshetra Additional Sessions Judge Ashu Kumar Jain, in a judicial order on July 6, narrated the incident, and warned the appellants not to engage in “such pressure tactics”, failing which appropriate proceedings will be initiated.
The matter relates to the case of M/s Shyam Overseas & Ors. versus Haryana Agro Industries Corp. Ltd. A copy of the order has been sent to the Kurukshetra District and Sessions Judge for information and necessary action.
Three persons, identified as Shyam Lal, Beena Devi and Mohit Garg, who are currently on bail, had filed an appeal against their conviction in a criminal complaint under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act in 2018. They had filed an application on June 1 and sought a stay on further proceedings in the appeal until finalisation of arbitration proceedings, which was dismissed by the judge.
“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 order stated.
The judge said that he had received a call on June 28 and the caller introduced herself as Personal Secretary of the Union Food Processing Minister, who requested long adjournment of the case. The judge said that “matters are decided in courts on merits and not on the basis of recommendations”.
On July 1, a caller, who identified himself as “Personal Secretary of the Union Law Minister”, also sought long adjournment. Repeated calls were also made to the judge on July 6, on the day he pronounced his order, he said.
The judge said that he had blocked the mobile number, and the appellants were making calls from another mobile number, where the same person claiming himself to be the Private Secretary of the Union Law Minister, started speaking.
When the judge didn’t answer the calls, the order stated that he received an SMS from a mobile number.
It read, “Good Morning Sir, Sir am Sachin Shinde Hon’ble Minister Arjunram Meghwal’s Personal Secretary Law Ministry Delhi. Sir, I spoke to you on 1st July regarding the case of agro, today’s hearing is there. We say that today you will give the date of 5-6 month because… talks is going on so need some more time. Today listing No.-43 M/s. Shyam Lal Overseas Vs. Haryana Agro Industries. Case No. CRA/14/2018.”
Later, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal told IE that no case is ever discussed in the office, and officials at the Minister’s office also said there is no person by the name working in the office.
The same response was also given by the office of Union Food Processing Industries Minister Pashupati Kumar Paras, who said there has been no woman member in the minister’s staff ever.