Arrest Warrants Issued Against Tripura’s Three Senior Higher Education Officials in Contempt of Court Case

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, December 21, 2025

The High Court has issued bailable arrest warrants against three senior government officials for contempt of court, after they allegedly failed to comply with judicial orders and remained absent despite explicit directions to appear in person.

Justice S Dutta Purkayastha issued the warrants against Raval H Kumar, IAS Secretary of the Higher Education Department, Animesh Debbarma, Director of Higher Education and Gautam Das, Principal of Dharmanagar Government College.

The contempt proceedings arose from the non-implementation of a High Court judgment delivered on 15 November 2021, in which a single judge had directed the State Government to reinstate the writ petitioner, who was working as a DRW employee at Dharmanagar Government College and to regularise his service.

Challenging the single bench verdict, the State Government filed a writ appeal. However, the Division Bench dismissed the appeal on 6 March 2024, thereby upholding the original order. Despite the dismissal of the appeal, the judgment was not implemented.

Left with no alternative, the petitioner Gopendra Shuklabaidya filed a contempt of court case on 30 April 2025. The High Court thereafter issued show-cause notices to the concerned officials.

During the contempt proceedings, the accused officials informed the court that a Special Leave Petition (SLP) had been filed before the Supreme Court of India. However, despite repeated opportunities, they failed to produce any order or stay from the apex court.

On the latest date of hearing, the officials were specifically directed to file affidavits and appear personally before the High Court. In blatant disregard of the court’s clear instructions, none of the officials appeared, nor were any affidavits submitted. Their counsel informed the court that the officials had been duly informed about the court’s directions well in advance, yet they chose to remain absent.

Appearing for the petitioner, senior advocate Purushottam Ray Barman strongly contended that senior government officials had openly defied the authority of the High Court, thereby undermining the dignity and majesty of the judicial institution in the eyes of the public.

Taking serious note of the non-compliance and absence, Justice S Dutta Purkayastha ordered the issuance of bailable warrants against all three officials to secure their presence before the High Court on the next date of hearing.

The petitioner is being represented by senior advocate Purushottam Ray Barman, along with advocates Samarjit Bhattacharjee, Kaushik Nath, and Sutapa Debbarma.

The matter will now be taken up on the next date, when the court expects the personal appearance of the accused officials in compliance with the warrants issued.

Meanwhile, a senior official of the Higher Education Department told Tripurainfo.com that, as per the earlier court order, the department has to comply with the High Court’s judgment by 29 January. Accordingly, the department will either implement the order within the stipulated time or file a Special Leave Petition (SLP) before the Supreme Court, the official added.

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