Srinagar: A senior government officer in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag district has been remanded to one-week judicial custody for failing to comply with a court order.
The court of Sub-Judge Feroz Ahmad Khan on Thursday sent Mohammad Rouf Rehman, a Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Service (JKAS) officer and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Verinag Development Authority, to judicial custody until October 15, 2025.
The judge directed the superintendent of the district jail and the Anantnag Station House Officer (SHO) to produce Rehman before the court via video conferencing on October 15.
Following the order, police detained Rehman, took him for a medical examination at a local hospital, and lodged him in custody as per legal procedure.
The action came during the hearing of a petition filed by Hamidullah Bawani, who complained about non-payment of compensation awarded to him by a Lok Adalat.
Earlier, on September 9, the court had expressed displeasure over Rehman’s non-compliance, observing that the officer had “not even bothered to reply to the show-cause notice” issued on March 4 this year.
The court noted that despite being served with the order, the officer failed to provide any explanation—indicating he had no justification for not complying with the compensation award passed in favour of Bawani, a resident of Mir Maidan, Dooru.
The decree holder had sought enforcement of a Lok Adalat award dated March 14, 2015, and a subsequent order issued on November 17, 2018.
During last month’s proceedings, counsel for the Deputy Commissioner and Collector, Land Acquisition, Anantnag (Judgment Debtors No. 2 and 3), argued that the responsibility to deposit the payment lay with the CEO (Judgment Debtor No. 4). The court concurred, holding that “it is Judgment Debtor No. 4 who has to deposit the payment to the decree holder.”
Rehman, currently lodged in Kehribal District Jail, underwent a medical check-up by an on-duty medical officer on Friday in accordance with jail rules.
After the examination, doctors referred him to Government Medical College, Anantnag for specialised treatment. He was subsequently shifted to the hospital under police escort, officials said.
