HC issues notice on PIL seeking action against contemnors

A PIL has been filed in the Madras High Court alleging that Tamil Nadu government officials topped the country in non-implementation of court orders and seeking to punish the contemnors.
Petitioner K.K. Ramesh, Managing Trustee of Tamil Nadu Centre for Public Interest Litigation, Madurai, submitted that as on February 16, 2014 there were more than 20,000 contempt cases pending in the high court's principal bench and Madurai bench, which clearly proved that the state officials were not complying with court orders.
Claiming that Tamil Nadu government officials stood first in the country in facing contempt petitions, the petitioner said they were neither complying with court orders nor showing any respect to the court.

When the matter came up today before a bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice T.S. Sivagnanam, the court directed the Chief Secretary, the Home Secretary, the Union of India and the Home Secretary of Tamil Nadu to furnish the details about the contempt petitions pending as on October 20, 2014.
It was on this date the state Chief Secretary had issued a circular directing all the departments to implement the orders of the courts and also warned that failure to do so would seriously invite administrative/disciplinary action.
The petitioner sought a direction to the contemnors to appear in person in contempt cases before the high court and punish them as per law so that the officials would respect the court orders.

The bench, referring to its last year order on the issue of non-implementation of court orders, said "we are one year hence since the order was passed and though the learned Government Pleader states that the matter is being monitored, the ground reality is that there are still a large number of contempt petitions pending."
It then sought a report on the status of pending contempt petitions and posted the PIL to November 23.