Comr Secys of GAD, Coop Deptt, RCS J&K Asked to Appear
Court Warns Suit May Be Decided Ex Parte if Respondents Fail to Attend on July 14
Srinagar: In a significant legal development, the Court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM), Srinagar, has issued summons to three senior officials of the Jammu and Kashmir administration in connection with a civil suit filed by Mohammad Lateef Dar.
The summons have been issued by the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate Touseef Ahmad Magray in Original Suit (OS) No. 1812/2026, titled Mohammad Lateef Dar vs UT of Jammu and Kashmir through Commissioner Secretary, Cooperative Department. The matter has been listed for hearing on July 14, 2026, at 10:30 am.
According to the court documents, separate summons have been served upon the Commissioner Secretary, General Administration Department (GAD), Civil Secretariat Srinagar, the UT of Jammu and Kashmir through the Commissioner Secretary, Cooperative Department, Civil Secretariat Srinagar, and the Registrar Cooperative Societies, Bemina, Srinagar.
The court has directed all respondents to appear either personally or through a duly instructed counsel competent to answer all material questions relating to the suit. They have also been instructed to produce all witnesses and documentary evidence on which they intend to rely in support of their defence, as the matter has been fixed for the final disposal of the suit.
The summons, issued on June 30, 2026, state that in the event of failure to appear on the scheduled date, the court may proceed to hear and determine the suit in the absence of the respondents.
The notices further inform the respondents that if they anticipate that their witnesses may not appear voluntarily, they may seek the court’s assistance for issuance of summons after depositing the prescribed expenses. The notices also mention that if the claim is admitted, the respondents may deposit the claimed amount along with the costs of the suit to avoid execution of the decree.
The court documents bear the seal of the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Srinagar, and mention that the summons have been generated and transmitted through the eCourts system, making physical signatures unnecessary.
Although the summons do not disclose the detailed allegations made by the petitioner, the issuance of notices to the administrative heads of the General Administration Department, the Cooperative Department and the Registrar Cooperative Societies indicates that the court has formally taken cognisance of the civil dispute and initiated judicial proceedings.
The matter is now scheduled to come up before the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Srinagar, on July 14, when the respondents are expected to file their response and present their defence before the court. Failure to comply with the summons could result in the proceedings continuing ex parte, without their participation.
