Nagpur: Controversial lawyer Satish Uke is set to face more trouble after Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court, on Wednesday, issued a bailable warrant against him for failure to appear during proceedings.A division bench comprising justice Bhushan Gavai and justice Indira Jain asked him to pay Rs10,000 before April 5. Assistant public prosecutor Ketki Joshi was asked to communicate the court's order to commissioner of police K Venkatesh. The CP would ensure that warrant is served to the contemnor before deadline."Though the contemnor was very well aware that he was required to remain present before this court on March 8, he preferred to remain absent. Though, on that date, we couldn't pass the order securing his presence, we granted him one more opportunity, so as to enable him to appear today. Today also, he skipped the proceedings," the judges tersely observed while hearing a new suo motu contempt (WP No 2/2017).The first suo motu contempt plea (WP No 7/2016) also came up for hearing before the specially constituted division bench of justice Prasanna Varale and justice Zaka Haq, but it was adjourned till Thursday. As Uke failed to deposit Rs4.12 lakh before Thursday, his two-month jail term, kept in abeyance during last hearing, was restored.Earlier, the court registry submitted pursis filed by Uke along with an application of March 3 before the judges. The application was addressed to chief justice, praying for constitution of an appropriate bench where justice Gavai is not a member, and for transferring the contempt proceedings to Mumbai.The judges then enquired with the registry whether the contemnor personally filed the pursis and CJ had passed any order on it. The registrar (judicial) replied in the negative. "In view of the matter, we are left with no other alternative than to pass the orders to secure presence of the contemnor," they said.They noted that when the order of second suo motu contempt was pronounced, Uke was present in court and was also aware that he was required to be present on March 8 at 2.30pm. However, when the case came up for hearing, a lawyer, RR Nayak, appeared for him and sought adjournment.When the court asked him whether he had official document (Vakalatnama) from the contemnor, Nayak said he had been instructed by a Mumbai-based lawyer named Nedumbara. When asked whether the latter had the permission, Nayak said he would reply by afternoon on March 8 at 2.30pm. But neither Uke nor his counsel were present when the court resumed hearing. Still justice Gavai and justice Jain granted one more opportunity to Uke to remain present by Wednesday, but he skipped the hearing, forcing the court to issue bailable warrant.

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