Senior JKAS officer sent to jail for defying court orders in South Kashmir

Srinagar, Oct. 9: J&K Police on Thursday took into custody a senior JKAS officer serving as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Kokernag Development Authority, (KDA) who also holds additional charge of the Verinag Development Authority (VDA), after he allegedly defied court orders in an execution case.

Police acted on directions from the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Anantnag, based on an order passed by Sub-Judge Feroz Ahmad Khan in Execution Petition No. 147/EP (Case No. 133/2023) titled Hamidullah Bawani vs Union Territory of J&K and Others.

“The Superintendent of District Jail, Anantnag, and SHO Anantnag shall take the judgment debtor, namely M. Rouf Rehman, into judicial custody till 15.10.2025,” the order reads. The court directed that he be produced through video conferencing on the next date of hearing.

Rehman, is posted as CEO KDA and holds additional charge of VDA. An official said police took Rehman into custody and escorted him to a local hospital for a medical examination before lodging him at District Jail Mattan, Anantnag, as per procedure.

Earlier, on September 9, the court expressed displeasure over Rehman’s non-compliance, noting that he had “not even bothered to reply to the show-cause notice issued by virtue of order dated 04.03.2025.” The order said, “Despite service of order dated 04.03.2025, no cause has been furnished by Judgment Debtor No. 4, which implies that he has no cause to show as to why he shall not be arrested and detained in a civil prison.”

The decree holder, Hamidullah Bawani of Mir Maidan, Doru, through Advocate Fayaz Ahmad Sodagar, had sought execution of an award dated March 14, 2015, passed in the National Lok Adalat, and enforcement of a subsequent order dated November 17, 2018.

During hearings last month, counsel for the Deputy Commissioner and Collector, Land Acquisition, Anantnag, appearing as Judgment Debtors No. 2 and 3, submitted that “it is Judgment Debtor No. 4 who has to deposit or make the payment as per the decree passed by this court.” The court held that “it is Judgment Debtor No. 4 who has to deposit or make the payment to the decree holder as provided under the judgment and decree.”

In September, the court ordered attachment of the Treasury account (Head No. SN.72) operated by the Verinag Development Authority with the Treasury Office Dooru, directing that “the Treasury Officer, Dooru, shall not entertain any bill of Judgment Debtor No. 4 in respect of the above-said account head.” The court had also issued a bailable warrant of Rs 50,000 against Rehman, directing the SHO Verinag to execute it “for its execution and early return.” Rehman will remain in judicial custody until October 15, when the court will review the case through video conferencing.