New Delhi, Mar 10 The Supreme Court has termed "shocking" and "prima facie contemptuous" the repeated harassment of daily wage workers by the authorities in the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir, by passing "cryptic orders" overlooking the judicial order regarding their regularisation.
"We are constrained to observe that the present case is a glaring and textbook example of obstination exhibited by the state officials/authorities, who consider themselves to be above and beyond the reach of law," a bench headed by Justice Surya Kant said.
The inaction of the officers of the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir, who took about 16 years to comply with a simpliciter High Court order passed in May 2007, is shocking and prima facie contemptuous, it added.
"What concerns us is not the delay of decades alone, but also the incontrovertible fact that the poor respondents, being daily wage workers, have been repeatedly harassed by the petitioners (authorities) by passing cryptic orders, thereby overlooking the true import and spirit of the order dated May 3, 2007, passed by the learned Single Judge (of the Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh at Srinagar)," the Justice Kant-led Bench said.
However, the Supreme Court refrained from recommending strong disciplinary actions against officials or imposing exemplary costs on the delinquent officers, keeping in view the fact that the contempt proceedings are still pending before the J&K and Ladakh HC.
"We, consequently, request the learned Single Judge to take up the contempt proceedings on a weekly basis and ensure that majesty and sanctity of law are well maintained," ordered the apex court as it dismissed the Special Leave Petition of the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir.
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