Sikkim HC Contempt Petition Withdrawn After Gauhati HC Ruling Renders It Infructuous

A civil contempt petition before the Sikkim High Court was withdrawn on 19 May 2026 after counsel submitted that a Gauhati High Court judgment had made the proceedings infructuous.

Justice Meenakshi Madan Rai, sitting singly at Court No. 2 of the High Court of Sikkim, disposed of Cont.Cas(C) No.02 of 2023 on 19 May 2026 after the petitioners sought to withdraw it. Counsel for the petitioners submitted that a judgment of the Gauhati High Court in Writ Appeal No.61 of 2021 (State of Sikkim and Others v. Yogen Ghatani and Others) had rendered the instant contempt petition infructuous. The Government Advocate for the respondents raised no objection, and the court accepted the withdrawal.

Petition and the Gauhati High Court Judgment

The contempt petition had been filed by Pratik Gautam and others against Anil Raj Rai and another respondent. The precise subject matter of the alleged contempt is not set out in the record of proceedings. What prompted the withdrawal was the intervening judgment of the Gauhati High Court in Writ Appeal No.61 of 2021, which counsel submitted had a direct bearing on the present proceedings, making them infructuous.

Mr. Anirudh Gupta, appearing for the petitioners, made the submission seeking withdrawal. Mr. Thinlay Dorjee Bhutia, Government Advocate, appeared for the respondents and stated he had no objection.

Outcome

The contempt petition stands disposed of as withdrawn. All pending applications, if any, were also disposed of on the same date.