Person cannot escape after making statement in court, says Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on Friday directed the police to detain a man forthwith for not depositing the money he had promised in the last hearing, saying no one can “run away” after making a statement in the court.

“When you have made a statement to the court, you cannot run away. Have you made a statement? The answer is yes. Have you complied with it? The answer is no. We do not need anything more,” a bench headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar said.

The apex court said the lawyer appearing for petitioner, Surinder Singh Arora, had on February 17 stated before it that he was ready and willing to deposit the arrears of rent, which was assessed to be around Rs 50 lakh by the high court in January this year which he had challenged.

The top court had then asked him to deposit the amount with the apex court registry within eight weeks.

When the matter came up for hearing today, the bench, also comprising Justices D Y Chandrachud and S K Kaul, noted that Arora, who was present in the court, had not deposited the amount with the registry.

“The aforesaid order has not been complied with till date. The above order was passed on the statement made to this court by the counsel for the petitioner,” the bench noted.

“The Station House Officer, Tilak Marg Police Station, New Delhi, is directed to detain the petitioner Surinder Singh Arora in judicial custody forthwith. He shall be produced in this court on the next date of hearing i.e. May 1,” it said.

The bench also observed that the petitioner had given an undertaking in the court that he would deposit the money, but he has not complied with it.

“You have given an undertaking to give the money which was arrear. You cannot do it, that you make a statement before us and not give the money,” the bench said.

Arora had filed an appeal in the apex court against the Delhi High Court order in a rent dispute matter.