Ram Krishan Ved Vs Delhi Jal Board(Hq) — Contempt of Court | Delhi HC (2026)

Ram Krishan Ved Vs Delhi Jal Board(Hq) — Contempt of Court | Delhi HC (2026)

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

Dismissed

Issue for consideration

Whether the Tribunal's closure of the contempt petition (C.P. No. 527/2025 in O.A. No. 2837/2021) was sustainable, given the petitioner's contention that the order dated 08.08.2025 deciding his representation was not a speaking order and thus amounted to contempt of the Tribunal's directions dated 20.03.2025.

Court's answer

Jurisdiction under the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 can be invoked only in rare and exceptional cases; it cannot be carried out in a routine or casual manner or to execute a decree or implement an order.

Ratio / Principle

Contempt proceedings should be invoked only if it is established that there was wilful disobedience of a judicial order by a contemnor.

Key takeaways

Once the Tribunal's directions had been complied with — the representation having been decided by order dated 08.08.2025, which was not disputed — the contempt proceedings could not have survived; accordingly the Court found no error or infirmity in the impugned order and it warranted no interference.ratio¶17
The petitioner's grievance that the order dated 08.08.2025 passed by the Competent Authority is not a speaking order can be pursued by filing a fresh O.A. before the appropriate forum, liberty to that extent having been granted by the Tribunal.ratio¶18

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

High Court of Delhi (Anil Kshetarpal and Amit Mahajan, JJ.) dismissed W.P.(C) 1506/2026 (Ram Krishan Ved v. Delhi Jal Board (HQ)) challenging the Central Administrative Tribunal, Principal Bench order dated 15.09.2025 closing the petitioner's contempt petition (C.P. No. 527/2025 in O.A. No. 2837/2021). The Tribunal had disposed of the O.A. on 20.03.2025 directing the Competent Authority to decide the petitioner's representation; the representation was decided by order dated 08.08.2025, an affidavit of compliance was filed on 14.08.2025, and its counsel did not dispute compliance. Holding that contempt jurisdiction under the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 is invocable only in rare and exceptional cases for wilful disobedience, and not to execute a decree or implement an order, the Court found that once the directions stood complied with the contempt petition could not survive, found no error or infirmity in the impugned order, and observed that the grievance that the 08.08.2025 order is non-speaking may be pursued by filing a fresh O.A., liberty to that extent having been granted by the Tribunal. Petition dismissed; pending applications disposed of.

$~84

IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI

- W.P.(C) 1506/2026 & CM APPL. 7376/2026, CM APPL. 7377/2026

RAM KRISHAN VED .....Petitioner Through: Mr. Sunil Kumar, Mr. Gaurav Mehta and Ms. Rekha Bhardwaj, Advocates.

versus

DELHI JAL BOARD (HQ) .....Respondent Through: Mr. Tushar Sannu and Mr. Fajallu Rehman, Advocates.

CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE ANIL KSHETARPAL HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE AMIT MAHAJAN

O R D E R

% 03.02.2026 1. The Petitioner assails the correctness of the order passed on 15.09.2025 passed by the learned Central Administrative Tribunal, Principal Bench, New Delhi, (hereinafter referred to as ‘Tribunal’ ) in C.P. No. 527/2025 in O.A. No. 2837/2021 vide which the contempt petition filed by the Petitioner was closed.

The Petitioner filed O.A. which was disposed of on 20.03.2025, while directing the Respondent/Competent Authority to decide the Petitioner’s representation. Admittedly, the Petitioner’s representation was decided and disposed of vide order dated 08.08.2025. 3. Thus, considering that an affidavit of compliance had been filed on 14.08.2025 by the Respondent/Authorities stating that the representation has been decided and the same was not disputed by the learned counsel representing the Petitioner, the learned Tribunal closed the contempt petition vide the impugned order.

Now, aggrieved by the disposal of the contempt petition, the present writ has been filed.

The learned counsel representing the Petitioner submits that the

This is a digitally signed order.

The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 05/02/2026 at 12:38:18

order dated 08.08.2025, is not a speaking order and thus, amounts to contempt of the directions passed vide order dated 20.03.2025 by the learned Tribunal in the O.A.

The jurisdiction under the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971, can be invoked only in rare and exceptional cases and it cannot be carried out in a routine or casual manner or to execute a decree or implement an order. The object of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 is to punish the contemnor and maintenance of the sanctity of judicial process as well as protection of public interest.

It is settled that contempt proceedings should be invoked only if it is established that there was a wilful disobedience of a judicial order by a contemnor. Once the directions passed by the learned Tribunal had been complied with and it is not disputed that the representation of the Petition has been decided vide order dated 08.08.2025, the contempt proceedings could not have survived. Hence, this Court finds no error or infirmity in the impugned order passed by the learned Tribunal and the same warrants no interference.

The grievance of the Petitioner that the order dated 08.08.2025, passed by the Competent Authority, is not a speaking order and the correctness of the same, can be ascertained by filing a fresh O.A before the appropriate forum. The liberty to that extent was also granted by the Tribunal.

Accordingly, the petition stands dismissed. Pending application(s), if any, also stand disposed of.

ANIL KSHETARPAL, J

AMIT MAHAJAN, J

FEBRUARY 3, 2026/ DU

This is a digitally signed order. The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 05/02/2026 at 12:38:18