Ahmedabad: The Gujarat High Court Thursday disposed of a contempt of court petition against former state Law and Agriculture Minister Dilip Sanghani after he offered an unconditional apology.
Sanghani, a minister in the Narendra Modi-led state government from 2007 to 2012, was accused of making certain derogatory remarks about the judiciary at a function in 2012.
A division bench of Justices M R Shah and K J Thakar disposed of the contempt petition today after he apologised.
Earlier, Sanghani`s lawyer had argued that as the remarks in question were made in 2012, charges for contempt cannot be framed after two years had lapsed.
Sanghani had said at a function in Jamnagar district on June 2, 2012 that "the judiciary must be kept under control".
One Rajendra Mistry had filed a petition, alleging this was tantamount to contempt of the court.
Sanghani had said only the state government had the power to allot portfolios to officers or to transfer them and courts should not interfere in this exercise. "It is the responsibility and duty of the Centre to rein in the courts that go beyond the law and constitution," the petition quoted Sanghani as saying.
Sanghani lost in 2012 assembly elections from Amreli to Congress`s Paresh Dhanani.
