Cuttack: Trouble mounted for senior IAS officer and Higher Education Secretary Aravind Agrawal on Tuesday as the Orissa High Court issued an arrest warrant against him for failing to comply with the court’s orders.
Taking serious note of the non-implementation of its earlier orders, the High Court issued the bailable warrant in a ‘contempt of court’ case.
As per the HC’s directive, police have been instructed to ensure the senior bureaucrat’s appearance before the court on January 22. The High Court has clarified that compliance with its orders could provide him relief from arrest. However, continued disregard of judicial orders prompted the court to adopt a strict stance in the matter.
The warrant was issued in connection with an earlier case filed by Tapan Pattnaik, a retired Reader of Kujang College. The court observed that repeated failure to follow judicial directions amounts to contempt and undermines the authority of the judiciary.
Higher Education Secretary Agrawal was not immediately available for comments.
