Court orders criminal proceedings against former DC Ganderbal for filing false pleading

Srinagar, Feb 25: The Jammu and Kashmir High Court has directed that criminal proceedings be initiated against the former Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Ganderbal for submitting false pleadings before the District Judge, calling the act “reprehensible” and a violation of the rule of law.
A bench of Justice Sanjay Dhar made the observations while hearing a petition seeking rent and compensation for unauthorized occupation of a building by the district administration. The former Deputy Commissioner falsely claimed that the administration was not in possession of the building, a claim contradicted by a commissioner’s report, which confirmed the occupation.
The court noted that such misleading statements from public officials undermine judicial trust, as courts generally presume the correctness of government pleadings. It further criticized the administration for occupying the property without due legal process and ruled that rent should be determined through negotiations, not unilateral decisions.
As a result, the court directed the authorities to pay the petitioner Rs 12 per sq. ft as rent, along with electricity charges, for the occupied building. [KNT]