Cuttack: The Orissa High Court has issued an arrest warrant against the District Education Officer (DEO) of Dhenkanal, Paresh Patra, over repeated non-compliance with judicial orders.
The warrant stems from a contempt case related to compassionate appointment.
Patra has been directed to appear before court on January 22 to explain the steps taken in compliance with its earlier directives. However, the warrant will not be executed if he submits a satisfactory explanation and fully adheres to the court’s orders.
Reports indicate that Patra has already filed an affidavit in connection with the matter.
Separately, the court has also issued an arrest warrant against senior IAS officer and commissioner-cum-secretary of state Higher Education (HE) department Arvind Agrawal. The order, uploaded on Monday, stated that there was not only non-compliance of its directions but also breach of undertaking given to the court, amounting to “aggravated contempt”.
Like in Patra’s case, Agrawal has also been summoned to appear on January 22, with a final opportunity to avoid the coercive action by reporting compliance in the meantime.
