Bombay High Court Drops Contempt Charges Against 5 Senior State Officials After Apology
In a recent development, the Bombay High Court has decided to withdraw the contempt of court proceedings against five high-ranking State government officers. These proceedings were initiated due to the officers' non-compliance with court orders. The decision came after the officers personally appeared in court and issued apologies for their actions.
The bench comprising Justices GS Kulkarni and Jitendra Jain expressed its concern about the conduct of these senior officers, emphasizing that such behavior from high-ranking officials could convey a troubling message to the public – that court orders were not binding. The bench questioned the potential impact on the perception of the judiciary by the common man.
All five officers, namely Aseem Gupta, Bijaysinh Deshmukh, Uttam Patil, Sachin Kale, and Praveen Salunkhe, appeared in court and tendered their apologies during the proceedings. The Advocate General, Dr. Birendra Saraf, acknowledged the delay in their compliance with court orders but noted that the orders were eventually adhered to. He also pointed out that these officers had no other contempt actions initiated against them by any other court.
Considering the apologies and the eventual compliance with the court's orders, the bench accepted the officers' apologies and decided to drop the contempt proceedings against them.
It's worth noting that on August 31, 2023, the bench had sentenced these officers to one month of civil imprisonment for contempt of court orders. However, after lawyers representing the officers requested a stay, the bench granted a one-week stay, leading to the recent decision to drop the contempt charges.
During the hearing, Justice Kulkarni contemplated the possibility of introducing provisions to discourage last-minute apologies through affidavits. The court discussed the idea of allowing officers to file undertakings detailing any prior or pending contempt proceedings against them within the administration level. This would help determine if an officer had a history of disobeying court orders.
Additionally, the court advised the State government to establish a special cell to coordinate with lawyers on the numerous land acquisition cases, emphasizing that the burden should not solely fall on the Collector. Many villagers are awaiting justice, and the court urged the government to address this issue promptly.
The contempt petitions originated from 26 farmers who claimed that the State had not allocated land to them as project-affected persons, as mandated by a High Court order from March 2022. Despite court notices, the officers had failed to file their responses, leading to the initiation of contempt proceedings. This culminated in the civil imprisonment sentence, which was later stayed following a plea from the officers.
TAGS: Bombay High Court Contempt Proceedings State Government Officers Apology Compliance Justices Sentencing Civil Imprisonment Contempt Charges Land Acquisition Special Cell Coordination Farmers Compliance Compliance Court Orders Compliance Apologies Advocates.
