Hyderabad: Expressing displeasure over government officers deliberately flouting court orders, the Telangana High Court on Friday observed that there was something amiss with the government's dealing with the judiciary.
Chief justice Raghavendra Singh Chauhan, said that it looked as if the government and its officers had to be taught to respect the majesty of law. “If we send two or three officers to jail in contempt cases, everything will be set right and the remaining officials will implement judicial orders,” the CJ commented.
He said more than 2,000 contempt cases had been filed before the High Court for non-implementation of court orders. One single judge had to deal more than 800 contempt cases.
A division bench, comprising Justice Chauhan and Justice A. Abhishek Reddy, told the government: “Don't blame us if we take a strict view in dealing the contempt cases, perhaps it may lead to drastic steps.”
The bench said that the maximum number of contempt cases were being filed against the revenue, land acquisition, home, municipal administration and registration departments.
The judges’ outrage came when when Sharat Kumar, special counsel for the government, asked the court for urgent hearing of an appeal against a single judge order. The government had issued an appeal after a petitioner had filed a contempt case for not implementing orders.
The limitation period for filing the appeal had elapsed but special counsel tried to convince the court to hear the petition, without responding on a condoned delay petition. The court said that the officers wake up only after the filing of contempt cases and then rush to the government.
Advocate general, B.S. Prasad, present in the court hall, tried to offer an explanation on the filing of contempt cases. To this, Justice Chauhan said no citizen wanted to file contempt petitions by spending money.
"It is not easy as an evening walk," he said.
Justice Chauhan also asked Mr Prasad about his suggestions that the government design the state litigation policy. After taking charge, Justice Chauhan had suggested that the government constitute screening committees in all the departments to cut down on litigations, rather than rushing to the courts.
