Nasroom Khan vs Sarai Narayan Singh, Assistant Development Officer Panchayat Tehsil Lalganj Distt. Pratapgarh — Allahabad HC (2026) — LawSathi Research

Nasroom Khan vs Sarai Narayan Singh, Assistant Development Officer Panchayat Tehsil Lalganj Distt. Pratapgarh — Allahabad HC (2026) — LawSathi Research

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

Liberty to the applicant/petitioner to approach appropriate Forum/Court against the grievance, if any.

Issue for consideration

Whether the contempt application (seeking compliance of a writ court order) should be dismissed in view of the affidavit of compliance recording that the writ court order has been complied with, given the settled position that merit of the case cannot be decided in contempt jurisdiction.

Court's answer

Upon consideration of the affidavit of compliance (recording that the writ court order has been complied with by deciding the petitioner's claim) and the cited pronouncements, the Court held the instant contempt petition/application liable to be dismissed and accordingly dismissed it.

Ratio / Principle

Acting on the cited pronouncements, the Court proceeded on the footing that merit of the case cannot be decided in the contempt jurisdiction, and therefore declined to adjudicate merits, leaving the applicant free to pursue any remaining grievance before the appropriate forum/court.

Key takeaways

While dismissing the contempt application, the Court expressly granted liberty to the applicant/petitioner to approach the appropriate Forum/Court against the grievance, if any.ratio¶15

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Contempt Application (Civil) No. 1353 of 2026 (Nasroom Khan v. Sarai Narayan Singh, Assistant Development Officer, Panchayat, Tehsil Lalganj, Distt. Pratapgarh), decided 11 May 2026 by Saurabh Lavania, J. (Allahabad High Court, Lucknow Bench, Court No. 7). The learned State Counsel filed an affidavit of compliance recording that the writ court order had been complied with by deciding the petitioner's claim. Taking note of pronouncements including J.S. Parihar v. Ganpat Duggar (AIR 1997 SC 113), Lalit Mathur v. L. Maheswara Rao ((2000) 10 SCC 285), Ashok Kumar Pandey v. Ashok Kumar Singh (2003 (5) AWC 4393), Brahma Deo Tiwari v. Alok Tandon (2004 (1) AWC 543), Shail Raj Kishore (2004 (3) AWC 2444), Anil Kumar Shahi (2) v. Prof. Ram Sevak Yadav ((2008) 14 SCC 115) and Hari Raj Kishore v. Shiv Prasad Dubey (2007(1) JCLR 639) — according to which merit of the case cannot be decided in contempt jurisdiction — the Court dismissed the contempt application, with liberty to the applicant to approach the appropriate forum/court against any grievance.

HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT ALLAHABAD LUCKNOW

CONTEMPT APPLICATION (CIVIL) No. - 1353 of 2026

Nasroom Khan

.....Applicant(s)

Versus

Sarai Narayan Singh, Assistant Development Officer Panchayat Tehsil Lalganj Distt. Pratapgarh

.....Opposite Party(s)

Counsel for Applicant(s)	: Om Prakash Gupta
Counsel for Opposite Party(s)	:

Court No. - 7

HON'BLE SAURABH LAVANIA, J.

Heard Shri Om Prakash Gupta, learned counsel for the applicant/petitioner, Shri Santosh Kumar Singh, learned State Counsel.

Shri Santosh Kumar Singh, learned State Counsel has filed affidavit of compliance, which is taken on record.

Based upon the affidavit of compliance, it is stated that the order of the writ court has been complied with by deciding the claim of the of the petitioner.

Taking note of the aforesaid as also the observations made in various pronouncements, including rendered in the case(s) of J.S. Parihar Vs. Ganpat Duggar and others, AIR 1997 Supreme Court 113; Lalit Mathur Vs. L. Maheswara Rao, (2000) 10 SCC 285; Ashok Kumar Pandey Vs. Ashok Kumar Singh, D.I.O.S., Ballia and others, 2003 (5) AWC 4393; Brahma Deo Tiwari Vs. Alok Tandon, District Magaistrate, Allahabad, 2004 (1) AWC 543; Shail Raj Kishore, Secretary, Education Basic, U.P. Lucknow and others, 2004 (3) AWC 2444; Anil Kumar Shahi (2) Vs. Prof. Ram Sevak Yadav, (2008) 14 Supreme Court Cases 115 and Hari Raj Kishore Vs. Shiv Prasad Dubey, 2007(1) JCLR 639 , according to which merit of the case cannot be decided in the contempt jurisdiction.

Upon due consideration of the aforesaid, this Court is of the view that the instant contempt petition/application is liable to be dismissed. It is accordingly dismissed. It is however with liberty to the applicant/petitioner to approach appropriate Forum/Court against the grievance, if any.

May 11, 2026 ML/-

(Saurabh Lavania,J.)

Digitally signed by :- MUNNA LAL High Court of Judicature at Allahabad, Lucknow Bench