4th August 2023, Dehradun: The Supreme Court has stayed the order of Delhi High Court sentencing businessman Veer Singh on contempt charges and also put a stay on the Look Out Circular. “By way of ad-interim order, there shall be stay that part of the order which direct the imprisonment of the appellant and issuance of Look Out Circular (LOC)”, the apex court order stated. Veer Singh was represented by Senior Advocate Vikas Singh, Senior Advocate Kiran Suri, and Senior Advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan.
Lawyers of Veer Singh, a business tycoon, argued that no contempt or wilful disobedience against the appellant is made out in the present case. The bench was apprised that the respondent, Kinri Dhir, alleged to be the wife of Veer Singh, initially was granted a sizeable amount of interim maintenance. However, later proceeded to file a criminal complaint in July 2022, against Singh, leveling allegations of rape. Notably, the registration of FIR against Veer Singh was previously stayed by the Delhi High Court, on 29 March 2023.
The Supreme Court was also of the prima facie opinion that the diametrically opposite stance of Kinri Dhir of being his ‘wife’ in order to claim a sizeable amount of interim maintenance and later disputing her own stance and alleging ‘rape’ against Veer Singh, is not tenable in law, and therefore requires consideration. The Bench also expressed its opinion that the proceedings of contempt cannot be used as an arm-twisting exercise, when an alternate remedy is always available for execution of orders, if any.
