JUDGMENT

Arun R. Pedneker, J.

1. The present Contempt Petition is filed praying for taking congnizance and to declare that the contemnor Respondent No.2/Member Secretary of the Scheduled Tribe Certificate Scrutiny Committee, Aurangabad has committed deliberate and willful contempt of order dated 12.10.2020 passed in Writ Petition (Stamp) No.17370 of 2020. The contemnor be punished and penalized under the provisions of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971.

2. This Court vide order dated 12.10.2020 in Writ Petition Stamp No.17370 of 2020 had directed the Respondent committee to decide the caste verification proceedings of the Petitioner expeditiously and preferably within a period of nine (09) months from the date of appearance of the Petitioner and the Petitioner was directed to appear on 19.10.2020 before the Committee. The proceedings having not been concluded within nine (09) months from 19.10.2020, the Petitioner has filed the present Contempt Petition on 03.08.2022.

3. Ordinarily, we could have restricted ourselves to the orders passed by this Court and sought an explanation from the Scrutiny Committee as to why the proceedings have not concluded. However, as the matter unfolded a clea