The direction by a bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar came on the plea of Delhi Chief Secretary M M Kutty, claiming he was being threatened with contempt of the House for not giving a report on de- silting that "suited the requirements" of the Delhi government.
The court stayed a June 29 report of the Assembly's Committee on Petitions which said there was misrepresentation of facts before it by Public Work Department (PWD) officials in connection with de-silting of drains.
The court also stayed a August 3 note sent by the PWD minister to the Chief Secretary in which it was allegedly observed that the report submitted by him with regard to work done by PWD officials for de-silting the drains was "evasive and unsatisfactory".
In its four-page interim order, the bench directed that "there shall be a stay on the report of the Committee of Petitions of June 29, 2017 as tabled in the Legislative Assembly, impugned resolution dated July 3 passed by the Legislative Assembly of NCT of Delhi as well as the observations reflected in the note dated August 3 and the respondents (Delhi government, Assembly and LG office) shall stand prohibited from taking any coercive and penal steps pursuant thereto till the next date of hearing."
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The matter was mentioned today before the court by senior advocate Siddharth Luthra, appearing for Kutty and was heard in-chamber by the bench.
Kutty, in his plea filed through advocate Vivek Chib, has sought quashing of the June 29 report, the July 3 Assembly resolution as well as the August 3 note of the PWD minister.
The petition also assailed the jurisdiction of the government and the Assembly to issue the note and directions to Kutty.
The stand of all authorities, arrayed in the petition, has been sought before the next date of hearing on November 8.
Earlier on July 31, the court had stayed the breach of privilege proceedings initiated against the PWD secretary for allegedly misleading the Committee on Petitions on the issue of de-silting of the city drains.
It had also put on hold a panel's notice to the bureaucrat asking him to remain present for the proceedings before the Committee on Privileges.
The high court had noted that the entire issue of de- silting of drains was pending consideration before it.
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