accepted by this Court at the contempt stage. A reading of the order shows that all the respondents were parties to the writ proceedings and they were directed to comply with the direction within the stipulated time of eight weeks. When the said order has not been challenged either by way of filing appeal or seeking for review, the contemnors cannot simply wash away their hands in order to escape from the clutches of law. When the Officers are public servants receiving monthly emoluments from the tax payers money, they cannot simply shirk their responsibility in matters like this, as they are accountable, more so when they were parties to the writ proceedings. Therefore, considering the facts and circumstances of the case, this Court exonerates the first, second and third contemnors from the contempt proceedings. However, this Court finds the fourth contemnor guilty of contempt under Section 12 of the Contempt of Courts Act, since he has failed to comply with the direction issued by this Court within the stipulated time of eight weeks and the Department also issued a charge memo under Section 17(a) of the Tamil Nadu Civil Services (Discipline & Appeal) Rules for his lapses, and directs him to pay a sum of Rs.2,000/- to the Tamil Nadu State Legal Services Authority, Chennai within a period of four weeks from today. Needless to state that in future, if any direction is issued or any order is passed against any officer to comply with the direction/order within a stipulated time, the concerned officer aggrieved with the direction/order has to challenge the same by way of filing appeal or seeking for review and he/she cannot simply keep quiet till the filing of the contempt petition and re-argue the
