SC stays Telangana HC order awarding two-month jail term to NTPC chairperson in contempt case

The Supreme Court on Friday stayed the Telangana High Court order awarding two-month jail term to the National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC) chairperson in a contempt case.

A bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices PS Narasimha and JB Pardiwala took note of the submissions of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the NTPC chief, that the high court order needed to be stayed.

“We are staying the high court order,” the bench said.

Earlier during the day, the top court had agreed to hear the appeal of Gurdeep Singh, the NTPC Chairman and Managing Director.

"This is the case in which the NTPC chairperson has been awarded two months' jail term in a contempt case relating to appointments of some non-executive employees," the law officer had submitted in the forenoon.

"We will hear it," the bench had said and asked the law officer to provide three copies of the petitions for the judges.

On December 31, the Telangana High Court sentenced Singh in a contempt case.

The high court, however, had suspended the judgment for six weeks to allow the contemnor to move a superior court to avail legal remedy to mitigate the sentence.