Patna High Court on Tuesday ordered that the Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) deputy mayor's post be kept vacant till further orders, as it is hearing a case over the post.

The matter next comes up for hearing on January 19.

A division bench of acting Chief Justice Iqbal Ahmed Ansari and Justice Chakradhari Sharan Singh passed the order on a letters patent appeal (LPA) by former deputy mayor Amrawati Devi. The bench ruled that neither Rup Narayan Mehta nor Amrawati should be called deputy mayor till further orders. "Both litigants have made a mockery of the statutory post," it said.

Mehta was removed from the post following an order from urban development department principal secretary Amrit Lal Meena, after which Amrawati was elected deputy mayor.

However, a high court single bench of Justice Jyoti Saran on December 14 quashed the order and reinstated Mehta. Amrawati then challenged the order before a division bench, which, on December 22, said: "...it is hereby... directed that until further order, parties shall maintain status quo..."

However, the state government issued a letter on December 29 appointing Mehta as deputy mayor. In her LPA, Amrawati called the move a contempt of court.

She also said during the hearing that she was not allowed to put forth her views before the single bench though she was made a party in the case. Amravati even filed an interlocutory application (IA) in the court, seeking punishment for the urban development department for violating the court order.