Bombay High Court issued contempt notice to SSC Director over alleged wilful disobedience of court orders. Bench of Ravindra Ghuge and Hiten Venegaonkar flagged rising trend of non-compliance by officials.
The Bombay High Court has expressed serious concern over what it described as the growing tendency of government officials to disregard judicial orders, and has issued a contempt notice against the Director of the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) for alleged wilful disobedience.
A Division Bench comprising Justice Ravindra Ghuge and Justice Hiten Venegaonkar, in its order dated April 24, took note of the conduct of SSC Director R. G. Singh and directed him to respond. The Court granted him liberty to file an affidavit explaining his actions and listed the matter for further hearing.
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The case arose from petitions filed by two candidates from Pune, Sushant Sarode and Aniket Jadhav, who had applied for recruitment in forces such as the CISF and BSF. Their applications were rejected during the physical examination stage due to a marginal shortfall in height. Upon challenge, the High Court observed that the difference in height was minimal and directed the authorities to admit them into the training programme.
However, despite the Court’s clear directions, the order was not implemented, and the petitioners continue to await induction. Tis led the Court to initiate contempt proceedings.
Emphasising the seriousness of the issue, the Bench observed,
“This is a classic case wherein, prima facie, we find that even officers in the service of this nation have displayed the audacity to disobey the orders of this court. Much turns upon the discipline of such officers in respecting the Majesty of Law,”
The Court further noted that the SSC Director failed to appear before it despite specific directions.
Expressing broader concern, the Bench stated,
“We are appalled by the fact that the tendency to disobey orders of the High Court is growing to such an extent that hundreds of contempt petitions are being registered each year, most of them on account of disobedience by the state government, the central government, or their officers.”
The observations reflect the judiciary’s increasing concern over non-compliance with its orders, particularly in service matters where delays directly impact the rights and careers of individuals. The case will now proceed to determine whether the conduct amounts to contempt and what action should follow.
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