New Delhi, Sep 19 (IANS): The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to keep in abeyance a non-bailable warrant (NBW) issued against the Gautam Buddh Nagar district jail superintendent for releasing an accused from prison whose bail had been cancelled earlier by the apex court.

A bench comprising Justices N.V. Ramana and Ajay Rastogi asked the jail superintendent to appear before it on September 23.

The jail superintendent's counsel requested the bench to keep the NBW issued against him in abeyance assuring that he will appear before the court on the given date.

The top court had issued the NBW against the jail superintendent while admitting a contempt petition.

The order came while the bench was hearing a contempt plea, filed by one Matru alias Prem Chand who alleged the jail superintendent set free an accused Arun whose bail had stood cancelled by the Supreme court.

The apex court had set aside the Allahabad High Court's order granting bail to Arun and directed that he should not be released if he was under custody.

Following the order, the jail superintendent sought a new prison custody warrant for the accused from the trial court, but without waiting for it, he released the accused, the petitioner said.