Supreme Court Issues Show Cause Notice For Contempt To Odisha DGP For 'Casual' Compliance

The Supreme Court issued a show cause notice of contempt to the Odisha DGP for non-compliance with its earlier order in a motor accident claim dispute. A bench of Justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and Prasanna B. Varale was hearing an appeal concerning the identification of a Bolero pickup van allegedly involved in a 2017 fatal road accident. The Court had, on March 6, 2025, specifically ordered the DGP to constitute and supervise a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to verify the vehicle's involvement in the accident. Upon learning that the DGP, despite being specifically tasked with ensuring compliance, had simply passed on the responsibility to the Deputy SP without demonstrating any supervisory oversight, the Court criticized him for adopting a casual attitude towards its directions. “we find that even the Director General of Police(DGP), State of Odisha, has adopted a very casual approach towards the directions of this Court. Although the matter was specifically entrusted to him, he chose to entrust it to the Deputy Superintendent of Police, CID, CB, Odisha, Cuttack, who, in turn, submitted a report without even bothering to examine how the investigation progressed or why the Dy. S.P. could not summon further/fresh details seeking clarity from the Insurance Company. When queried, learned counsel for the State could not give any satisfactory explanation as to why the DGP failed to supervise the investigation or ensure compliance.”, the bench remarked. Unimpressed with the explanations offered, the Court ordered the DGP to file a personally sworn show-cause affidavit before the next date of hearing, detailing why the Court should refrain from initiating action for non-compliance. “By the next date of listing, the personally affirmed show cause of the DGP, State of Odisha, shall be filed, explaining why such a casual approach was adopted by him. Further, if the investigation, as required, is not completed by the next date, a strict view will be taken in this regard.”, the court ordered. The matter is listed next on December 16, 2025. Cause Title: THE ORIENTAL INSURANCE CO. LTD. VERSUS TUNI PATI & ORS.Click Here To Read/Download Order

Supreme Court Issues Show Cause Notice For Contempt To Odisha DGP For 'Casual' Compliance

Yash Mittal

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