Delhi HC issues notice to Chanakya IAS Academy director in contempt petition

The single judge bench of Justice Anish Dayal said in the order that the petition has been filed alleging “wilful disobedience of the undertaking"

The Delhi High Court, in an order dated July 15, issued notice to Chanakya IAS Academy director Arun Kumar Mishra in a contempt petition filed by an Indian Forest Service officer Prabhakar Priyadarshi who previously used to teach at the coaching institute.

The case pertains to failure in payment of remuneration to the petitioner despite taking undertakings to the court because of which Priyadarshi filed a contempt petition in the high court.

The single judge bench of Justice Anish Dayal said in the order that the petition has been filed alleging “wilful disobedience of the undertaking captured in the order passed in October last year by the district judge of Patiala House Court."

The district court had issued a decree in February 2023 in favour of the petitioner, asking Chanakya IAS Academy to pay over Rs 4 lakhs with 9% interest per annum.

Making the director a contemnor, it was argued in the petition that in February 2024, he undertook to pay Rs 1 lakh by March 7, 2024, followed by two installments of 2,10,000 by March 31 and April 30 of the same year.

However, it was alleged that the director of Chanakya IAS Academy reneged on his commitment.

It was alleged that he made another default was on a subsequent undertaking given on October 8 that year when he agreed to pay Rs 1 lakh monthly from November and clear the entire outstanding amount by January 2025.

The order noted that upon failing to comply with the undertaking, the petition filed the contempt petition in the high court and the current outstanding amount now stands at Rs 5,50,000 as informed by the petitioner’s counsel.

The court also observed that in this case, bailiff (court staff who attaches the assets) could not find anything valuable on the premises of the company which could be attached to satisfy the decree issued by the district court.

The high court has now issued a notice to Mishra and has summoned him for further proceedings in the event the decree does not stand satisfied on or before September 15.

The matter has been posted for hearing on October 29.

The petitioner Priyadarshi used to teach at Chanakya IAS Academy. While being a faculty there, he himself cleared UPSC and was allotted to Indian Forest Service.

According to his counsel, he requested Mishra to pay his outstanding remuneration, however, the coaching institute kept on dilly-dallying which prompted him to file a suit against the director in which a decree was issued by the Patiala House Court.

The counsel claimed that Chanakya IAS Academy undertook to clear his dues to but kept violating the undertaking given to the court.

Under Section 2(b) of The Contempt Of Courts Act, 1971, violating an undertaking given to the court is considered contempt.