CHANDIGARH: The Punjab and Haryana high court has issued notice to a senior defence ministry official and an Army officer of the rank of Major General on a contempt petition for not complying with an order of the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) regarding pension benefits of some retired honorary naib subedars.
The principal integrated financial adviser in the defence ministry, and the additional director general of personnel services, have been asked to explain why an undertaking given to the HC to implement the AFT's 2017 verdict wasn't adhered to.The officers had ignored multiple summonses, prompting the Chandigarh bench of the AFT to slap a contempt notice and issue arrest warrants against them.
The defence ministry challenged the arrest warrants and contempt proceedings in the HC. Accepting the ministry's undertaking that it would comply with the AFT's orders by August 30, the division bench directed that the warrants be kept in abeyance till then.