Calcutta High Court on Thursday ordered acting DGP Manoj Malaviya to appear before it on September 21 and state why officials of his department were not attending the court according to a directive issued earlier.

While hearing a case moved against two fake money-laundering companies on Thursday, the court found that the police had not carried out its earlier order to produce two officials of the firms during the day.

Soon after a division bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Rajesh Bindal ordered the DGP’s appearance, a state government lawyer requested that the directive be withdrawn. The lawyer said the police would produce the fake companies’ officials in the court the next day.

But the bench did not accept the plea and said Malaviya would have to be present in the court on September 21.

On Thursday, no lawyer or official of the department concerned was present when the ponzi scheme-related cases came up for hearing. Acting Chief Justice Bindal criticised the role of state panel lawyers and the police, before issuing the order pertaining to the DGP.