JUDGMENT

S. C. Dharmadhikari, J. - By this petition which alleges civil contempt, the petitioners pray that this Court should after holding that the respondent nos. 1 to 3 are guilty of civil contempt take further action against them in exercise of the powers conferred on this Court by Article 215 of the Constitution of India and the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971.

2. The allegation is that the said respondents have willfully disobeyed the order, writ, direction of this Court dated 24th March 2005 in Writ Petition No. 10341 of 2004.

3. For appreciating the rival contentions and particularly that of the petitioners, we must refer to some background facts.

4. The order passed on 24th March 2005, copy of which is at page 22 of the petition, is the order of which contempt is alleged. That order reads as under :

"1 We have heard the learned counsel for the parties.

2 In the facts and circumstances of this case, we deem it appropriate to direct the Collector, Raigad to treat this Writ Petition as a comprehensive representation of the petitioners, and decide the same, in accordance with law,within four weeks from the date of receipt of a copy of this order, after affording hearing to the pet