MUZZAFARABAD (Kashmir English): Azad Kashmir’s Supreme Court has sentenced former Haveli Sessions Judge Raja Imtiaz for contempt of court, violating Supreme Court’s decision and misbehaving by releasing drug dealer on bail.
Chief Justice Supreme Court Azad Kashmir, Raja Saeed Akram Khan, sentenced the former Sessions Judge Haveli Kahuta Raja Imtiaz Ahmed to three days in prison for contempt of court and ordered his arrest from the court. Judge Raja Imtiaz was facing charges of blatant violation of court orders, perjury and undermining the dignity of the court.
The situation erupts when a case was registered under Section 9(c) of the “Narcotics Control Act 1997” in Haveli Kahuta district, in which an accused Raja Dilawar Khan was arrested on charges of possessing a large quantity of heroin. The accused’s bail application was rejected by the lower court.
Later on, the High Court and the Azad Kashmir Supreme Court had also rejected the bail on January 19, 2023, clearly ordering that the District Court should issue a final decision in the case within six months and if any new evidence emerges during the hearing that could benefit the accused, then the Supreme Court should be approached again for bail.
However, a month later, Raja Imtiaz Ahmed, then posted as the Special Judge of the Anti-Narcotics Court, Haveli, acquitted the accused under Section 265-K (Cr.P.C) on February 16, 2023 and the accused also fled abroad. Despite the fact that the appeal of the case was pending in the High Court and the Supreme Court.
A full bench headed by Chief Justice of Azad Kashmir, Justice Raja Saeed Akram Khan, termed Raja Imtiaz’s action as contempt of court, perjury and false statement and misconduct. Raja Imtiaz was questioned about this acquittal order before the court, he denied it and said that no such decision had been issued, however, his order was recovered from the court records.
Earlier, the Supreme Court had suspended Raja Imtiaz and ordered an inquiry, while all his previous decisions, especially the complete record of drug cases in Muzaffarabad, Palandri and Haveli, were also sought.
After a month of inquiry, on July 2, 2025, the Supreme Court clearly declared Raja Imtiaz of committed contempt of court, challenged the authority of the Supreme Court and tarnished the reputation of the institution by lying in court. Therefore, the court immediately sentenced him to three days and ordered his arrest from the courtroom.
