Gauhati High Court: File affidavit on action to be taken against Assam Fisheries Development Corporation Ltd. (AFDC) MD

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: A division bench of the Gauhati High Court asked the Assam Government to file an affidavit to satisfy the Court as to whether any action is sought to be taken against the Managing Director, Chairman, and other members of the Assam Fisheries Development Corporation Ltd. (AFDC), including other officers responsible for providing fraudulent appointments to the writ petitioners/respondents within two weeks.

Earlier, a single-judge bench ordered the AFDC in the writ petition WP(C) 4084/2022 to pay salaries to the petitioners till the conclusion of the inquiry initiated on the acceptability of their appointment.

However, AFDC challenged the order of the single-judge bench in the divisional bench, comprising Chief Justice Sandeep Mehta and Justice Mitali Thakuria.

The Advocate General submitted that the appellants were not provided an opportunity to file an affidavit in the writ petition. He further submitted that many of the officials involved in the grossly illegal appointments provided to the writ petitioners/respondents have been placed under suspension. An FIR has also been registered against the fraudulent appointments, and the matter is now pending for grant of sanction to prosecute such officials.

Advocate BD Konwar, representing the writ petitioners/respondents, vehemently objected to the submissions advanced by the Advocate General of the State.

In view of the objections raised by Advocate Konwar, the bench said, “We hereby direct the learned Advocate General to file an affidavit to satisfy the Court as to whether any action is sought to be taken against the Managing Director, Chairman, and other members of the Corporation, including other officers responsible for providing fraudulent appointments to the writ petitioners/respondents. The requisite affidavit shall be filed in two weeks.”

In the meantime, the bench stayed the effect and operation of the direction given by the single-judge bench in the impugned order to pay the salary to the writ petitioners/respondents till the conclusion of the inquiry.

The bench listed the case for hearing on June 7, 2023.

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