Scribe gets `fake’ summons, court orders probe

On March 12, 1999, Azad — working with a vernacular daily `Araywart’, received the summons by post. The summons were purportedly issued from the court of Metropolitan Magistrate (MM) S.S. Handa. Since it carried a court seal and a bore a signature with the Magistrate’s seal, Azad reached Delhi on March 18.

But a worried Dinesh Kumar Azad kept sitting in court, and was never called. He approached the staff, who said they did not know anything about the summons. Azad approached the Magistrate and informed him about the summons. After its perusal, Metropolitan Magistrate S.S. Handa, declared that the summons did not carry his signatures.

He also assured Azad that the court did not require him in connection with any case. MM Handa accepted an application moved by Azad’s counsel Jitender Kumar and signed it to give a written assurance that the summons were fake. Following this, Azad moved an application in the court of District and Sessions Judge M.A. Khan, requesting him to order an inquiry into the mystery. In his application, he also accused the court staff of indulging in some kind of a conspiracy against him.

Azad told Express Newsline: “It is some kind of a joke that has been played with me. It is a misuse of court machinery that can put anyone in trouble. Security of a person can be threatened.”

Handa, however, denied Azad’s allegations. According to him, it could be anyone who wanted to either make trouble or take revenge against Azad.