District judge arrested in AJK for flouting top court`s order, committing contempt
By Tariq Naqash
2025-07-03
MUZAFFARABAD: In an extraordinary move, the Supreme Court of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on Wednesday ordered the arrest of a district and sessions judge from inside the courtroom after finding him guilty of gross judicial misconduct, contempt of court, and willfully violating its explicit directives.
Raja Imtiaz Ahmed, lately serving as a member of the High Court`s inspection team, was taken into custody by Muzaffarabad police on the orders of the Supreme Court`s full bench, headed by Chief Justice Raja Saeed Akram and comprising Justice Khawaja Muhammad Nasim and Justice Raja Raza Ali Khan.
The arrest followed Mr Ahmed`s failure to offer a credible defence against charges thatincluded issuing a controversial acquittal order in a narcotics case in defiance of a Supreme Court ruling-and subsequently denyinghaving done so.
The contempt proceedings stemmed from a narcotics case involving Raja Dilawar Khan, accused under Section 9(c) of the Control of Narcotic Substances Act, 1997, whose bail plea had been rejected atevery judiciallevel,including bythe apexcourton January19,2023.
In a written order, the apex court had directed that the trial proceedings be concluded and a final decision delivered within six months, with a compliance report to be submitted through its registrar. The order had also stated that if any material surfaced during trial that could benefit the accused, he could reapply for bail before the competent court.
However, it later came to the Supreme Court`s notice that within one month of the bail rejection order, Mr Ahmedthen serving as special judge of the AntiNarcotics Court in Haveli-acquitted the accused on an application under Section 265-K of the Criminal Procedure Code. The accused subsequently fled abroad.During earlier hearings in Mirpur Circuit and later in Muzaffarabad, Mr Ahmed denied issuing the acquittal order despite the apex court`s prior ruling. However, upon summoning the case record from the High Court, the Supreme Court found that Mr Ahmed had indeed acquitted the accused in his capacity as special judge, and that an appeal against this acquittal was pending in the High Court.
The Supreme Court viewed Mr Ahmed`s actions as a flagrant violation of its directives and an act of contempt, while his false statements were deemed judicial misconduct.
The apex court ordered his immediate suspension and the initiation of an inquiry against him under the supervision of a High Court judge. The High Court complied and submitted an inquiry report that found him guilty of misconduct.
The report further revealed that Mr Ahmed had previously been warned in multiple instances of misconduct, andthat in one case, the High Court had halted his annual increments after confirming charges in a prior inquiry.
In the present case, he again committed contempt by acquitting an accused in a narcotics case under Section 265-K in direct violation of the Supreme Court`s order.
After thoroughly reviewing the complete case record, the High Court`s inquiry report, and conducting detailed hearings, the apex court presented the list of charges to Mr Ahmed. He failed to offer a satisfactory defence on any count.
Consequently, the court sentenced Mr Ahmed to three days` simple imprisonment and ordered the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Muzaffarabad to arrest him from the courtroom.
It was not immediately clear whether the conviction would cost Mr Ahmed his job and pension benefits. When contacted by Dawn, a senior court official said that a detailed order in the case would be issued later.