Legal services body seeks to recover fine from UP lawyer

Acting on GSLSA ‘s plea,a division bench of acting Chief Justice Bhaskar Bhattacharya and Justice J B Pardiwala issued notice to Pande and kept it for further hearing after three weeks.

Meanwhile,the court also adjourned the proceedings initiated to recover the fine of Rs 25,000 imposed by it on Pande for moving the PIL.

GSLSA counsel Mehul Shah said Pande had challenged the HC order of fine at the apex court. The SC had dismissed the petition while imposing an additional fine of Rs 1 lakh on him. The court had directed Pande to deposit the amount with GSLSA. But he did not pay it.

Meanwhile,the HC initiated action against Pande for not depositing the fine of Rs 25,000. The court had issued a non-bailable warrant against Pande following which he was arrested by the Lucknow police recently and was produced before a HC judge at his residence during summer vacation.

After being sent to judicial custody,Pande had reportedly deposited the amount under protest. He,however,has written a letter to the Chief Justice of India for initiating impeachment proceedings against three HC judges who passed orders related to the recovery of fine from him on the ground of incapacity and misbehaviour.