PTI 

New Delhi, May 11: The Supreme Court on Wednesday sentenced Maharashtra Transport Minister Sarup Singh Naik and Additional Chief Secretary Ashok Khot to one-month imprisonment for clandestinely giving licence for operation of six wood-based industries in 2004 despite a ban on the same.

When the licence was granted for operating the sawmills by them, Naik was environment and forest minister and Khot principal secretary in the ministry.

Holding them guilty of committing contempt of court, a bench comprising Chief Justice Y Sabharwal, Justice Arijit Pasayat and Justice S Kapadia also took serious note of the fact that they tried to interfere with the administration of justice.

"In this case contemnor deserves severe punishment. This will act as an example to those who have the propensity of disregarding the court order because of their money power, social status or post held," Justice Pasayat writing the judgement for the bench, said.

The court had initiated contempt proceedings against them after it was pointed out that the licence for operation of wood-based industries was in violation of the 2002 apex court order directing closure of unlicenced sawmills, veneer and plywood industries without the permission of the Central Empowered Committee.

The Supreme Court in 2002 had banned the operation of sawmills, but Nayak and Khot gave licences to six such mills in violation of the order.