Title - SC refuses to stay HC contempt notice to Rajasthan's former chief secretary

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to rescue Rajasthan's former chief secretary and ex-Director General of Police from contempt proceedings initiated against them by the Rajasthan High Court for their alleged inaction to contain the Gujjar agitation in 2008.It was Rajasthan government which had filed contempt petition against Gujjar leader Kirori Singh Bhainsla for continuing with the rail and road blockade agitation despite assurance to the contrary to the court.But two years later, the HC issued notice to the former chief secretary and DGP for alleged inaction in containing the agitation demanding quota for Gujjars in jobs and admissions to educational institutions, which had cost more than 50 lives and damage to public property worth Rs 30 crore.The Ashok Gehlot government requested the apex court bench of Justices T S Thakur and Gyan Sudha Mishra to quash the show-cause notices issued to the then chief secretary D C Sawant and former DGP A S Gill on May 12.Additional Advocate General Manish Singhvi said the HC order was barred by limitation as over three years had passed since filing of the state's petition. He said the HC had no reason to seek fresh explanation from the officials as elaborate affidavits had been filed by them in the past explaining the steps taken.But the bench, while refusing to entertain the state's plea, took a serious view of the agitation as it had resulted in loss of over 50 lives. "If 50 people have died you are bound to answer whether you were negligent," it said brushing aside the fact that the officers have since resigned.The bench said, "These agitations hold common man to ransom. People have a right to agitate but the direction of the High Court was to do it in a manner that it does not affect the common man. If so many people died despite all this, the HC is justified in asking to know the reasons."The Rajasthan government had stated in the HC that the Gujjars continued their agitation despite being denied the permission to protest. The Gujjar community clashed with police, uprooted railway tracks and blocked national highways.