Above: (Right to Left) Prateek Hajela, NRC Coordinator in Assam, Registrar General of India, Sailesh and police officials of Assam meeting  with leaders of the political parties of Assam, in Guwahati (file pic). Photo: UNI

The Supreme Court bench of Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Rohinton Fali Nariman on Tuesday (August 7) came down heavily on Assam state coordinator Hajela and Registrar General of India Shailesh for issuing statements to the media on the preparation of the final draft National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam. The court said that these statements were not only improper, but issued without proper authority. The court said that it would think about initiating contempt proceedings against these two senior officials.

The matter was taken up suo moto by the court after it went through news clippings which had comments from the two. The court was enraged at this.

Justice Nariman said: “Are you even bothered or concerned about the issue of claims and objections? Your job is to draft an error-free NRC and not to go to the press giving directions. That is a job which should be done by the court. You’re an officer of the court, you’re appointed by us. What you say reflects on us.”

Hajela, in his statement to the media had said that documents which were earlier not accepted will now be accepted at the stage of claims and objections. Shailesh, however, said: “Persons who raise claims or objections will be given extensive and numerous hearings.”

The bench found both the statements by the officers improper and beyond their authority.

The bench even said it was inclined to initiate contempt and put both the officers in jail. However, looking at the present situation and realising that a lot of work needs to be completed by the officers, the bench pardoned them with strict warning that they are not to give statements to the press without prior permission of the court.

The matter is next scheduled for hearing on August 16.

—India Legal Bureau