ORDER

Hon’ble Ms. Harvinder Kaur Oberoi, Member (J):

The present contempt petition arises out of the willful and deliberate non-compliance of the interim order dated 23.04.2025 passed by this Tribunal in O.A. No. 1437/2025.

2. The petitioner had approached this Tribunal by way of the aforesaid Original Application seeking, inter alia, directions to the respondents for his permanent absorption and regularization on the post of PGT (Computer Science) along with all consequential benefits from the date of his initial joining in Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti. The petitioner had further prayed for litigation costs and any other appropriate relief that this Tribunal may deem fit in the facts and circumstances of the case.

3. Alongside the main reliefs, the petitioner had also sought interim protection, specifically praying that during the pendency of the Original Application, the respondents be directed to maintain status quo with respect to his services, as there existed a genuine and immediate apprehension that his contractual engagement would not be extended beyond 30.04.2025, thereby rendering the Original Application infructuous.

4. The matter was taken up for preliminary hearing on 23.04.2025, and after hearing learned counsel for the petitioner, this Tribunal was pleased to issue notice to the respondents and granted them time to file their reply. Importantly, upon consideration of the submissions and the material placed on record, this Tribunal found that the petitioner had been serving continuously on the said post since 01.07.2001 and had completed more than 24 years of service.

5. Taking note of the balance of convenience and the likelihood of irreparable loss and injury to the petitioner, this Tribunal was pleased to grant interim relief by directing the respondents to maintain status quo with respect to the petitioner’s services as PGT (Computer Science) as on that date, until the next date of hearing.

6. It is submitted that the said order dated 23.04.2025 was duly served upon all the respondents on 24.04.2025, thereby bringing the contents and directions of the order fully within their knowledge. Despite such service and despite the clear and unequivocal direction of this Tribunal, the respondents have chosen not to comply with the same. The petitioner had originally approached this Tribunal due to a genuine apprehension that his services were about to be terminated, which apprehension unfortunately materialized when he was served with an order dated 18.04.2025, whereby his services, along with those of seven other similarly placed contractual employees, were directed to be terminated with effect from 30.04.2025.

7. It is further submitted that out of the eight employees whose services were terminated by the said order, almost all have been re-engaged by the respondents on the same posts. However, the petitioner alone has been singled out and denied such re-engagement, despite the fact that he is protected by the interim order of this Tribunal. This discriminatory conduct on the part of the respondents not only reflects arbitrariness but also demonstrates a clear intention to circumvent and undermine the authority of this Tribunal.

8. In addition to the above, the petitioner has not been paid his salary for the last two months, thereby aggravating his hardship. The petitioner is facing severe financial distress and is struggling to meet his basic needs, notwithstanding the protection granted by this Tribunal. The actions of the respondents have effectively rendered the interim order meaningless and have caused grave prejudice to the petitioner.

9. It is submitted that the conduct of the respondents clearly establishes that they have willfully, deliberately, and consciously disobeyed the order dated 23.04.2025 passed by this Tribunal. Their actions amount to gross contempt, as they have not only failed to maintain status quo as directed but have also acted in a manner that defeats the very purpose of the interim protection