Calcutta High Court on Friday issued a contempt rule against state election Commissioner Rajiva Sinha on charges of his failure to carry out the court's order to deploy central force during the July 8 panchayat polls.

A division bench composed of Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam and Justice Uday Kumar directed Sinha to be present in the court on November 24 and clarify why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against him.

The order was issued in response to contempt petitions moved by Opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari, state Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and Congress leader Abu Hasem Khan.

Acting on the petitions moved by the three leaders in the Opposition, the division bench had on May 22 issued certain guidelines for the State Election Commission (SEC) regarding the deployment of central forces to conduct free and fair panchayat polls in Bengal.

The bench also framed guidelines on how to use the central forces on the polling day. The court gave some instructions about the coordination between the central forces and state police.

However, the three petitioners claimed that orders of the court had not been followed by Sinha and demanded that the bench initiate contempt proceedings against the SEC.

On the basis of these petitions, the division bench conducted a prolonged hearing and issued its order on Friday. After hearing the counsels of Adhikari, Chowdhury, Khan, the state government and the SEC, the court reached the conclusion that Sinha had flouted its order.

Sinha will have to either convince the court that its order was adhered to or face the contempt proceedings.