DM fails to explain 'bad reputation'; court slaps fine

The DM had refused to release a seized motor bike on the grounds that the owner's reputation was 'bad'

The Allahabad High Court slapped Rs 20,000 fine on a bureaucrat for failing to explain 'bad reputation'.

According to sources, the district magistrate (DM) of Hardoi, about 100 kilometre from Lucknow, had refused to release a motor bike, which was seized by police after it was found parked on a road side, on the grounds that the owner's reputation was ''bad''.

The owner of the motor bike Dharmendra Kumar made several rounds to the police station concerned and also gave applications to the district magistrate for releasing the vehicle, but nothing happened.

Later, the district magistrate said that the motor bike could not be released as owner had a ''bad reputation''. The official mentioned a pending case against Kumar to substantiate his contention.

Kumar later moved the court seeking release of his bike.

The court had sought to know from the official as to how he had reached the conclusion that the petitioner had a ''bad reputation''. The official failed to explain the same.

In its judgement, the court said that the official's order was unjustified and illegal.

No one's property could be seized without any reason, the court observed.

It also slapped a fine of Rs 20,000 on the official saying that the motor bike had been under seizure for around one year and hence its value had depreciated.