The Jammu and Kashmir High Court has summoned Ganderbal District Commissioner Shyambir Singh in connection with an alleged criminal contempt case.

A bench comprising Justice Atul Sreedharan and Justice Sanjeev Kumar instructed Singh to appear personally to address the contempt charges against him. The court issued a notice mandating Singh’s presence on Monday, August 5, at 11 a.m. sharp. Senior counsel Riyaz Ahmad Jan has been appointed as amicus curiae to assist in the proceedings.

The case against Singh, an IAS officer from the 2018 batch who has served as Deputy Commissioner of Ganderbal since 2022, arose from allegations that he retaliated against Ganderbal sub-judge Fayaz Ahmad Qureshi. Singh is accused of using his official position to intimidate and harass the judge following Qureshi's order to attach Singh’s salary due to non-compliance with a judgment from October 2022.

The sub-judge reported that Singh allegedly misused his position to harass him, including unauthorized visits by government officials to the judge’s property, which was perceived as an attempt to undermine judicial authority. In response, Qureshi recommended that the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary take administrative action against Singh under the Government Conduct Rules, 1971, labeling him a “constant potential threat” to the judiciary.

The court has warned that any attempt by Singh to evade service of summons or fail to appear will result in coercive measures to ensure his presence