Jaipur, March 28 The Rajasthan High Court on Friday disposed of a contempt notice against IAS officer Bhawani Singh Detha after he issued an unconditional apology for non-compliance with a court order.
During the hearing, Justice Umashankar Vyas underscored the responsibility of both the judiciary and administrative officers to serve the public.
"I come from a middle-class family, so I understand the struggles of a common man. When court orders are not followed, people are forced to hire lawyers and file contempt petitions. Put yourself in their place and understand their difficulties. In the public interest, it is crucial to comply with court orders on time," Justice Vyas remarked.
In response, Bhawani Singh Detha expressed regret, stating: "I apologise to the court unconditionally and assure that all future court orders will be followed promptly."
The High Court had summoned IAS officers Bhawani Singh Detha, Shuchi Tyagi, and former Joint Director of College Education R.C. Meena for failing to comply with a judicial directive.
The court noted that while the order was eventually executed within 18 days, it was only due to strict judicial intervention.
"As public servants, senior officers bear greater responsibility. Their inaction and repeated defiance of court orders are unfortunate. Since compliance has now been undertaken, jail time is not deemed appropriate. However, penalties for prolonged non-compliance may still be considered. The officers must justify why they should not be punished," the court observed.
While Detha and Meena appeared in court on Friday, Shuchi Tyagi submitted an application for absence. Following their apologies, the court withdrew the contempt notices against all three officers.
The case stemmed from a petition filed by Dr D.C. Doodi, a lecturer at Government College, Sambhar Lake. Previously employed in Haryana, he was selected for a lecturer position in Rajasthan in 1998. However, the state education department failed to count his previous service tenure under the Career Advancement Scheme, delaying his pay scale benefits by 1.5 years.
Dr Doodi took the matter to court, and on May 5, 2022, a single-judge bench ruled in his favour. The state government appealed to a division bench, which refused to stay the order. The case then reached the Supreme Court, which dismissed the government's appeal on September 27, 2023. Despite these rulings, the department continued to delay compliance, leading to contempt proceedings.
With Friday’s hearing and the officers' formal apologies, the matter has now been legally resolved. However, the case serves as a strong reminder to government officials about the importance of timely compliance with court orders.
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