MUZAFFARABAD, May 9: AJK High Court Chief Justice Syed Manzoor Hussain Gillani has initiated disciplinary action against a judicial officer who has also been served charge sheet and a show-cause notice on Friday, court sources said.

Family Court Judge Tariq Iqbal Lone was found, in a preliminary inquiry report, guilty of hearing cases of forest department without any authority and constituting a court at a place which was not the normal sitting of any civil court, the sources said.

According to the sources, Mr Lone was detailed by the CJ in late January to hear family court cases at Athmuqam, tehsil headquarters of Neelum Valley. However, instead he constituted a court in Lesva village, some 15 kilometres short of Athmuqam, and started hearing cases of the forest department in connivance of the department’s local staff.

In that capacity he also fined different people in the sum of Rs50,650, which was entered in the record, the sources said, adding there were rumours that the money actually received was much more than that shown in the register.

However, by the end of April the amount was not deposited by the judge in the government exchequer, they added.

When the CJ got wind of the matter, he appointed a session judge to hold preliminary inquiry into the matter, which confirmed that Mr Lone had fined people and received the amount from them. Later, the forest secretary also informed the CJ in writing that the judge had received money from people in connivance with the forest department’s staff.

Initiating action against the judge under the Efficiency and Discipline Rules, the CJ appointed Justice Reaz Akhtar as authorized officer.

On Friday the officer issued a charge sheet and a show cause notice to the judge, asking him to clarify his position within two weeks.

Justice Akhtar has also appointed Additional Sessions Judge Abdur Rashid Salaria as inquiry officer.

However, the judge has not been placed under suspension.