HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE FOR RAJASTHAN AT JODHPUR
Vijay Bishnoi, J.
Nemi Chand Mahela – Appellant
Versus
Manju Rajpal & Ors. – Respondents
S.B. Writ Contempt No. 425/2021
Decided On : 14-07-2022
Contempt Petition - Non-compliance with Court Directions - SB Civil Writ Petition No.4121/2000, Kailash Chandra Sharma v. State of Rajasthan & Ors., Nemi Chand Mahela v. State of Rajasthan & Ors. - The court discussed the non-compliance with court directions in SB Civil Writ Petition No.4121/2000 and subsequent legal proceedings, including the application of the directions given by the Hon'ble Supreme Court in the case of Kailash Chandra Sharma v. State of Rajasthan & Ors. and the judgment in Nemi Chand Mahela v. State of Rajasthan & Ors. The court also considered the principle of res judicata and the deliberate filing of the contempt petition by the petitioner.
Fact of the Case:
The petitioner filed a contempt petition alleging non-compliance with court directions given in SB Civil Writ Petition No.4121/2000. The petitioner had previously filed a writ petition in 2000, which was disposed of with directions to consider the petitioner's candidature for a teaching position. Subsequent legal proceedings ensued, leading to the filing of the contempt petition in 2021.
Finding of the Court:
The court found that the contempt petition was an abuse of the process of law and dismissed it with a cost of Rs.10,000/-, noting that the petitioner deliberately filed the petition to mislead the court.
Issues: Non-compliance with court directions, abuse of the process of law, deliberate filing of the contempt petition.
Ratio Decidendi: The court held that the petitioner's deliberate filing of the contempt petition was an abuse of the process of law and found no merit in the petition.
Final Decision: The contempt petition was dismissed with a cost of Rs.10,000/-.
JUDGMENT
1. This contempt petition has been filed by the petitioner with alleging therein that the respondents have not complied with the directions given by this Court on 14.11.2000 in SB Civil Writ Petition No.4121/2000 and, therefore, they may be suitably punished for committing contempt of this Court.
2. It appears that pursuant to an advertisement dated 15.06.1998, the petitioner has applied for selection on the post of teacher Grade-III way back in the 1998. However, when the petitioner failed to secure appointment, he filed writ petition No.4121/2000 before this Court. The said writ petition came to be disposed of by the learned Single Judge vide order dated 14.11.2000 in view of the judgment passed by this Court dated 21.10.1999 in Deepak Kumar Suthar vs. State of Rajasthan, reported in (2000)1 WLC 1 with a direction to consider the candidature of the petitioner preferably within a period of four weeks from the date of filing of certified copy of the order. It was further made clear that the candidature of the petitioner shall be considered provided the selected list still in life, there is a vacancy and no selection has been made subsequently to the said advertisement in question and there should be no candidate over and above him in the merit list who has not offered the appointment.
3. When nothing has been done in the matter by the respondents than the petitioner has again preferred SB Civil Writ Petition No.2519/2003 before this Court and the said writ petition came to be allowed with a direction to the respondents to prepare a fresh merit list in accordance with the directions given by the Hon'ble Supreme Court in the case of Kailash Chandra Sharma v. State of Rajasthan & Ors., reported in JT(2002) 5 SC 591. It was further ordered that the petitioner is also entitled to be considered for appointment and if he stands in merit, appointment be given to him as Teacher Grade-III.
4. The order dated 09.10.2006 passed in SBCWP No.2519/2003 was challenged before the Division Bench by the State, however, the Special Appeal was dismissed vide order dated 24.05.2007. Against which, the State has preferred a Special Leave Petition before the Hon'ble Supreme Court wherein, leave was granted and ultimately the Hon'ble Supreme Court has decided the controversy vide judgment dated 30.04.2019 passed in the State of Rajasthan v. Nemi Chand Mahela & Ors. reported in 2019(2)WLC(SC) Civil 299.
5. It is noticed that in Nemi Chand Mahela's case (Supra) the Hon'ble Supreme Court has categorically held that the candidates who had not filed writ petitions on or before November 17 th, 1999 would not be entitled to appointment upon recalculation of marks by exclusion of the bonus marks form the marks of the selected candidate.
6. Learned counsel for the petitioner while relying on the observations made by the Hon'ble Supreme Court has argued that the Hon'ble Supreme Court has clarified that the direction of not providing appointment to the candidates who had not filed the writ petitions before November 17th, 1999 are not to be applied in legal cases by way of principle of res judicata would apply i.e. wherein the decision of the Single Judge or the Division Bench has become final since it was not challenged before the Division Bench or before the Hon'ble Supreme Court.
7. Learned counsel for the petitioner has submitted that as the order passed by the learned Single Judge in S.B. Writ Petition No. 4121/2000 decided on 14.11.2000 is not challenged by the State before the Division Bench, therefore, the petitioner is entitled for appointment on the post of Teacher Grade-III pursuant to the advertisement issued way back in the year 1998.
8. Having heard learned counsel for the petitioner and taking into consideration the facts and circumstances of the case, I am of the view that the present contempt petition is filed by petitioner nothing but an abuse of the process of law.
9. The writ petition No.4121/2000 filed by the petitioner was decided on 14.11.2
Abuse of the process of law and deliberate filing of a contempt petition.
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