Chandigarh, Oct. 16 -- "This court is left with no other option but to frame charges against the respondent (Gupta), as prima facie he has not only committed contempt but also exhibited defiance," the bench of justice Pankaj Jain observed while summoning the officer for hearing on October 16. If convicted, he may face jail up to six months, and a fine up to Rs.2,000 or both.

The petition was from a former panchayat secretary, Charanjit Singh, filed in May this year, in which he had alleged contempt of court by the director by not complying with an undertaking given in his petition, which was disposed of in December 2024.

His petition raised a dispute about calculation of pension and release of the same. It was disposed of in December 20...