JOIN USCourt upset with 2 officials' conduct
The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Wednesday issued a show cause notice to the Gurgaon additional commissioner of police and a HUDA official, asking them why contempt of court proceedings should not be initiated against them for not complying with its October 8 order on the Delhi-Gurgaon expressway toll plaza.
The court issued notices to ACP (traffic) Ravinder Tomar and Haryana Urban Development Authority administrator Praveen Kumar for removing barricades near Ambience Mall and permitting right turn, thus violating the HC orders.
It fixed the case for hearing on November 1.
In the last hearing of the case, the court had said that the U-turn on the expressway from Jaipur side for entering towards Ambience Mall, will only be used as a U-turn and not as a right turn (L-turn). It had directed Gurgaon Police to look into any violation of the order.
The matter came up for resumed hearing before a division Bench headed by Justice S K Mittal on Wednesday. Delhi Gurgaon Super Connectivity Ltd (DGSCL) counsel told the court about measures taken to avoid traffic jams, saying these had worked well except for one day.
The counsel said the right turn was blocked on October 9 by putting up cement blocks and only the U-turn was allowed. However, owing to protest by some persons, Parveen Kumar and the police had got the blocks removed the following day.
No authority to act
The court observed that the HUDA administrator had no authority to act against directions of the court and he was not even a party in the case. The court held that if the directions were not suitable or it was found that these could not be properly implemented, the court’s doors were open and the officers could have approached the Bench for modification of the orders.
The court was also upset over Tomar’s submissions, who had deposed before the Bench that the directions of the Bench had been implemented in true spirit.
On October 8, the HC had ordered resumption of round-the-clock collection of toll from vehicles plying on the expressway. On September 4, the court had barred the concessionaire from collecting toll from motorists, but on September 28, it allowed toll collection except during rush hours.