SC to hear petitions seeking to initiate contempt of court against RBI Governor Shaktikant Das

New Delhi [India], September 2 : Supreme Court on Thursday is set to hear a batch of petitions seeking to initiate contempt of court proceedings against the RBI Governor, Shaktikant Das, Chief Executive of Indian Banks Association (IBA) and others for allegedly flouting the apex court's earlier order of turning and declaring the account of the petitioners as Non Performing Assets (NPA) in connection with moratorium matter.
A three-judge bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Justice Dhananjaya Yashwant Chandrachud and comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Hima Kohli, will tomorrow hear the batch of petitions.
The batch of contempt petitions was filed before the Supreme Court by various petitioners -- Aslam Trading Company, Mandeep Singh Bhasin, Umrazz Trading Corporation, Ajay Hotel and Restaurant, Azeez Trading Company, Ajay Kumar B Makane and Tarun Polymers -- through their lawyer Vishal Tiwari.
The respondents, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor, Shaktikant Das, Chief Executive of IBA were duty-bound to promulgate and ensure the compliance of the order of this court (Apex Court) throughout the country but they deliberately didn't do, the batch of petitions, filed before the Supreme Court said.
The Supreme Court's order passed on September 3, 2020, was operational on all lending institutions/ banks throughout the country and was passed in the favour of all borrowers accounts to grant relief from financial stress during COVID-19, Tiwari said in the petitions.
The order of September 03, 2020, was passed in the presence of the respondents who were represented by their counsel and all were very well aware of the stay order, the petitions said.
The contemptuous act of the respondents has not only disobeyed the court's order but has also caused severe irreparable damage and loss to the petitioners, Tiwari claimed in his petitions, filed before the Top Court.
The contemptuous act of the respondents has shaken the confidence of the public and has degraded the Trust of the borrowers. In this pandemic where all borrowers are passing through the worst scenario and financial stress, the respondent's act is very disgraceful and contemptuous, the petitions said.
The petitioners thereby sought the issuance of notice to the contemnors for allegedly and willfully violating the order/ directions of the Apex Court's September 03, last year, passed in a writ petition.
"Punish the contemnors for having committed contempt of this Court," the petitions said.
Tiwari further, in the batch of petitions filed before the Supreme Court said that the stay order was passed in the pandemic COVID-19 for the benefit of stressed borrowers (petitioners) so that they shall not suffer, in this present financial crisis, they are facing during this COVID19 pandemic.