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Journalism of Courage
The media adviser to former Punjab chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh,B I S Chahal,has been awarded seven days imprisonment in a civil jail for contempt of court. A penalty of Rs 1 lakh has also been slapped on him.
On May 29,2009,the Full Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court held him guilty of interfering and obstructing the process of judicial proceedings as well as the administration of justice by preventing the production of records of the Sports Department before the court on May 28,2004. The charges against Chahal were that he had misused his office,manoeuvred the selection process and wielded influence for his sons selection as DSP in the Punjab Police from the sports quota.
The sentence will remain suspended for a period of 90 days subject to the contemnors depositing the fine with the High Court Legal Service Committee within two weeks from the receipt of the order.
Meanwhile,amicus curiae in the case Anupam Gupta said,A person convicted of criminal contempt cannot be sent to a civil prison. Civil imprisonment is permissible only in case of conviction for civil contempt. In sending Chahal to civil prison for criminal contempt the Full Bench has committed an error of law. He also expressed disappointment at the quantum of sentence awarded.
Chahals counsel Karambir Singh Nalwa said he was seriously contemplating filing an appeal against the order in the apex court.
