Delhi High Court notice to UCO Bank official in contempt case filed by Mahalakshmi Pavani on dispute over PP Rao's will

The Delhi High Court on Thursday found the Chief Manager of the UCO Bank, Supreme Court Branch, prima facie guilty of civil contempt for not complying with an order for release of money lying in the accounts of Senior Advocate late PP Rao to his daughter-in-law Mahalakshmi Pavani, also a Senior Advocate [Mahalakshmi Pavani v UCO Bank & Anr].Justice Dharmesh Sharma issued show cause notice to the Chief Manager, who was posted at branch located in the Supreme Court capus on March 2, 2020, asking him why he should not be punished for wilfully disobeying the directions passed by Court on November 1, 2019.“The act committed by the concerned official of the Bank amounts to manifestly impeding the course of administration of justice and thereby attempting to wriggle out the directions passed by this Court,” Justice Sharma said. Meanwhile, the Court also directed the present Chief Manager to immediately vacate the lien on the amount in question and allow Pavani to operate the bank accounts as per the wishes of her father-in-law. It also sought a compliance report..The case has its origins in the Will executed by Rao a few months before his death in 2017. Pavani was nominated as the ‘Executor’ of the Will.The Bank had raised various objections when Pavani sought release of ₹4,96,07,344.81 from Rao’s accounts, prompting her to file a writ petition before the High Court. In November 2019, the High Court directed the bank to release the money to Pavani after she submitted the Surviving Members Certificate and a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from other legal heirs of Rao.However, the bank again raised certain objections despite filing of the documents. In 2020, she filed a contempt petition alleging non-compliance with the Court's directions. In response, the bank told the Court that Pavani’s ex-husband Praveen Pavani had informed it that he had not given any “no objection”. Thus, the bank said that Pavani was informed that although the amount had been released in her account, the same was marked under "lien"..After hearing the parties, the Court opined that once the NOC, purportedly signed and attested by Praveen Pavani, had been filed, the bank official had no business to create any lien over the amount credited to the petitioner (Mahalakshmi Pavani).The bank official attempted to overreach the directions of the Court not only by informing the Praveen Pavani about the directions but also “by creating a lien over the amount so transferred”, the Court said.“The said action on the part of the concerned official of the Bank is patently a case of civil contempt amounting to wilful and deliberate disobedience to the directions passed by this Court on 01.11.2019,” it added..The Court also took note of the fact that Praveen Pavani had not chosen to file any criminal complaint disputing the authenticity of the NOC submitted to the bank. “It is but apparent that for some inexplicable reasons he has chosen to put hindrance in the execution of the Will of the testator with regard to the disposition of the properties,” Justice Sharma remarked.The bench called it unfortunate that the bank official did not even consider it proper to seek any clarification from the High Court despite having a battery of lawyers. The Court, therefore, issued a show cause notice for contempt of court to then Chief Manager of the bank and asked him to appear before the Court on January 8, 2024..Advocate Nikhil Majithia represented Pavani.Advocate Sarfaraz Khan represented the UCO Bank while advocates Vivek Goyal and Gokul Sharma also represented other respondents.[Read Order]