'Serious Matter, HC Order Fabricated To Get Interim Relief': Punjab & Haryana High Court Directs Police Enquiry, Issues Contempt Notice

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has initiated contempt proceedings and directed a police inquiry against litigants who were found to have fabricated the High Court's order to claim that they had received an interim stay on a partition proceeding.

While issuing a contempt notice, Justice Harsh Bunger said, “Apparently, the original order... passed by this Court in CWP No.31164 of 2024 has been fudged/forged and fabricated, which is indeed a serious matter and requires to be thoroughly investigated/inquired into.”

Consequently, the Court directed the Senior Superintendent of Police Chandigarh to get the matter thoroughly inquired into as regards the persons involved in creating/forging the document (court's order) and to submit a report in this regard within a period of one month. 

The contempt plea stated that, a partition proceeding was challenged by the respondents in November, 2024 and in the first hearing the case was simply adjourned and the respondents failed to get any interim stay in their favour and in order to hamper the execution proceedings they hatched a criminal conspiracy in collusion with each other by forging and manipulating the original order dated 20.11.2024 passed and uploaded on the Website of the High Court.

It was alleged that the order was fabricated and was forwarded by Respondent No.1 (Manoj Kumar, Halka Girdawar) on the WhatsApp number of the petitioner.

The Court noted that the order as uploaded on the High Court's website stated that, "On request of learned counsel for the petitioners, adjourned to 26.11.2024..." and the alleged fabricated order stated that, "per the petition filed by Ld.Counsel the petitioner are alloted less land compared to their rightful evident, thereby has been accepted. On request of learned counsel for the petitioners, no action is commanded adjourned to 26.11.2024."

During the hearing, the Court checked the website to see the authenticity of the order and found that the alleged order was "clearly a fudged/forged and fabricated document."

It directed the petitioner to accompany Sub-Inspector Satyawan Singh to the Police Station, where Sub-Inspector Satyawan Singh or any other competent officer shall take the mobile phone of the petitioner in custody after complying with all formalities.

The matter is listed for April 23 for further consideration.

Mr Ankit Chahal Advocate and Ms. Monika Beriwal, Advocate for the petitioner.

Mr. Dinesh Arora. Advocate for Respondent No.1

Antriksh Vs. Manoj Kumar and others

Click here to read/download the order