Liaqat Ali, the Munsiff Judge, has been sentenced by the Guwahati High Court for his failure to ensure timely release of one Kamala Keot from civil imprisonment despite a clear order from the HC in this regard.

Delivering the order, Justice J N Sarma of the Guwahati HC held that it was because of Ali, Keot had to remain in jail even after the HC had ordered his release. Keot had been imprisoned in connection with a land decree case.

The order against the Munsiff Judge was in the wake of a petition filed on behalf of Keot, in which he had stated that while Justice D N Baruah of the Guwahati HC had ordered his release, the Munsiff Judge had failed to carry out the order leading to his unnecessarily long detention.

The Munsiff Judge, however, will get a reprieve of three weeks before the imprisonment orderwill be implemented during which he will get an opportunity to appeal against the HC order. Taking advantage of this, the Munsiff Judge has pleaded that the Keot's release order was never brought to his notice.