BENGALURU: Disapproving of the tendency among senior government officers not to obey court orders, the Karnataka HC on Monday orally observed that time has come to send an IAS officer to jail for contempt of court.
A division bench headed by Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi made the observation over non-compliance of a single bench's order passed last year about bringing amendment to the rules for merging Group C and D posts in municipal bodies.
During the hearing, Rakesh Singh, additional chief secretary (urban development department), and MS Archana, director of municipal administration, were present before the court as per the directive issued in the previous hearing. A contempt plea was filed by an employees' association.
'15 days' time required to file objections'
An employees' association has filed a contempt petition, alleging that the July 19, 2021 order was required to be implemented within two months and the same had not been followed till now by these two officers.
Additional advocate general Dhyan Chinnappa, who appeared for the two officers, informed the court that a draft notification was issued on June 3, 2022, in compliance with the single bench's order and added that 15 days' time was required to file objections as per the law.
Considering the development, the bench adjourned the hearing by six weeks on the request of the petitioner.
