Parminder Singh and Another Vs Dr Karamjit Singh and Another — Punjab & Haryana HC (2025) — LawSathi Research

Parminder Singh and Another Vs Dr Karamjit Singh and Another — Punjab & Haryana HC (2025) — LawSathi Research

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

No contempt sanction; contempt purged and Rule discharged; petitioners left with liberty to pursue other available remedies against the speaking orders dated 19.02.2025 and after the decision of LPA No. 1545-2025; pending applications disposed of.

Issue for consideration

Whether the respondents were guilty of deliberate and intentional disobedience of order dated 22.10.2024 passed by this Court in CWP-9420-2018, warranting contempt action. +1 more

Court's answer

Accordingly, the contempt is purged and Rule is discharged.

Ratio / Principle

Order dated 22.10.2024 passed by this Court in CWP-9420-2018 has already been complied with, and this fact is not disputed by learned counsel for the petitioners.

Key takeaways

The petitioners remain free to avail any other remedy available to them, in accordance with law, to challenge the speaking orders dated 19.02.2025, and to avail available remedies after the decision of LPA No. 1545-2025.ratio¶38

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Contempt of Court — compliance with writ direction — Contempt petition (COCP-2797-2025 O&M) alleging deliberate and intentional disobedience of order dated 22.10.2024 passed in CWP-9420-2018, which writ petition had been disposed of in terms of order dated 13.08.2024 in CWP No. 5592-2017, 'Gurpreet Singh and ors. VS State of Punjab and ors.', containing undertakings on minimum pay scale with D.A. (committee to decide within three months, relief within further 08 weeks), non-replacement by contractual employees, priority consideration on fresh advertisement, and seniority while relieving staff — Respondents produced speaking orders dated 19.02.2025 passed in compliance of order dated 22.10.2024 (copies taken on record, supplied to petitioners' counsel, Registry directed to tag them); some portion of order dated 13.08.2024 under adjudication in LPA No. 1545-2025 — Court found order dated 22.10.2024 fully complied with, a fact not disputed by petitioners' counsel — Contempt purged, Rule discharged; petition dismissed — Petitioners free to avail other lawful remedies to challenge speaking orders dated 19.02.2025 and after decision of LPA No. 1545-2025 — Pending applications disposed of. (Judgment by Sudeepti Sharma J., oral, dated September 25, 2025.)

Procedural history

How this case reached the court

AI extract

Order under challenge
Order dated 22.10.2024 passed by this Court in CWP-9420-2018, alleged to have been deliberately and intentionally disobeyed, compliance with which was examined in this contempt petition.¶14
High Court of Punjab & Haryana at Chandigarh · 22.10.2024
Prior proceeding
Writ petition CWP-9420-2018 was disposed of in terms of order dated 13.08.2024 rendered in CWP No. 5592-2017 and other connected case titled 'Gurpreet Singh and ors. VS State of Punjab and ors.'; respondent-University's counsel undertook that qua grant of minimum pay scale along with D.A. a committee had been constituted and an appropriate order on the petitioners' claim would be passed within three months.¶16
Prior proceeding
Under the order dated 13.08.2024, the respondent-University undertook that the said order would be made applicable upon employees already working with the respondent-University as of then.¶20
Prior proceeding
Under the order dated 13.08.2024, the respondent-University undertook that if petitioner Gurpreet Singh (CWP-5592-2017) was found to have been replaced by another contractual employee on the same terms and conditions, appropriate relief entitled to him would be given.¶22
Prior proceeding
Under the order dated 13.08.2024, the respondent-University undertook that if services of petitioner Gurpreet Singh had been terminated for any reason other than mere replacement, an appropriate speaking order would be passed within three months.¶22
Prior proceeding
Under the order dated 13.08.2024, the respondent-University undertook that upon a regular incumbent joining or reduction in work reducing staff strength, length of service rendered by the employee would be kept in mind while relieving employees.¶23
Prior proceeding
It was noted under the order dated 13.08.2024 that some petitioners were not working as their services had been terminated due to shortage of work.¶24
Prior proceeding
Under the order dated 13.08.2024, the respondent-University undertook that if work of the posts on which the petitioners were working existed and the respondent-University advertised the posts, the petitioners' claims would be considered on priority basis subject to satisfactory work and conduct.¶28
Prior proceeding
The writ petitions were disposed of as not pressed, with liberty to the petitioners to seek an appropriate remedy in case any order passed by the respondent-University caused them prejudice.¶30
Prior proceeding
LPA No. 1545-2025 was filed with regard to some portion of order dated 13.08.2024; the remaining portion was addressed through speaking orders dated 19.02.2025 passed in compliance of order dated 22.10.2024.¶31
Prior proceeding
Speaking orders dated 19.02.2025 were passed in compliance of order dated 22.10.2024 and copies thereof were taken on record.¶31
Prior proceeding
Copies of the speaking orders dated 19.02.2025 were supplied to learned counsel for the petitioners and the Registry was directed to tag them at an appropriate place.¶31