Disposed¶22

Salwinder Singh v. K a P Sinha and Anr.

Punjab & Haryana HC10 Sept 2025COCP/341/2024

Case brief

AI extract

What is this about?

Keywords: contempt of court; COCP; contempt proceedings; non-compliance; compliance report; notional promotion; Soil Conservation Officer; notional benefits; consequential and retiral benefits; leave encashment; arrears; DPC recommendations dated 22.7.2015; CWP-24385-2015; order dated 19.7.2023; Department of Soil and Water Conservation Punjab; Chief Conservator of Soils; infructuous contempt petition; liberty to revive; rule discharged; Punjab and Haryana High Court; Justice Nidhi Gupta; decision dated 10.09.2025.

What did the court decide?

Contempt petition disposed of as infructuous; liberty granted to the petitioner to revive the petition within four weeks if any cause of action survives; rule discharged; pending application(s), if any, disposed of. ¶22

Salwinder Singh Vs K a P Sinha and Anr. — Punjab & Haryana HC (2025) — LawSathi Research

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

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Issue for consideration

Whether contempt proceedings should be initiated against the respondents for non-compliance with the order dated 19.7.2023 (Annexure P-1) passed in CWP-24385-2015, which directed grant of consequential and retiral benefits in terms of the DPC recommendations dated 22.7.2015.

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Court's answer

The present contempt petition is disposed of as having been rendered infructuous, in view of the submissions made by learned counsel for the respondents based on the Compliance Report dated 07.1.2025 showing notional promotion, notional benefits and release of consequential benefits including leave encashment.

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Ratio / Principle

In case any cause of action survives, liberty is granted to the petitioner to revive the present contempt petition within four weeks from the date of decision, if so advised.

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Key takeaways

Rule stands discharged.ratio¶27
Pending application(s), if any, stand disposed of.ratio¶28

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Contempt petition (COCP No.341 of 2024 (O & M)), High Court of Punjab and Haryana at Chandigarh, decided orally on 10.09.2025 by Hon'ble Ms. Justice Nidhi Gupta. Petitioner Salwinder Singh sought initiation of contempt proceedings against respondents (K.A.P. Sinha, Financial Commissioner (Development) & Additional Chief Secretary to Govt. of Punjab, Department of Agriculture, and another) for non-compliance with the order dated 19.7.2023 (Annexure P-1) passed by a co-ordinate Bench in CWP-24385-2015, whereby respondents were directed to pass an appropriate order in terms of the DPC recommendations dated 22.7.2015 and give consequential and retiral benefits, with arrears to be calculated and released within 3 months. A Compliance Report dated 07.1.2025 by affidavit of Shri Mohinder Singh, Chief Conservator of Soils, Department of Soil and Water Conservation Punjab (respondent No.2), taken on record, showed that in pursuance of the 19.7.2023 order the petitioner was promoted as Soil Conservation Officer on Notional Basis on 07.2.2023, notional benefits were accorded from 22.7.2015 up to retirement on 31.7.2015 (order dated 13.12.2024, Annexure R-3/T), and all consequential benefits including leave encashment were released vide order dated 02.1.2025 (Annexure R-4/T). None appearing for the petitioner, the petition was disposed of as rendered infructuous, with liberty to revive within four weeks if any cause of action survives; rule stood discharged and pending applications were disposed of.

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COCP-341-2024 (O & M) 1

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IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH

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216

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COCP No.341 of 2024 (O & M) Date of decision :-10.09.2025

Salwinder Singh

…..Petitioner

Versus

K.A.P. Sinha, Financial Commissioner (Development) & Additional Chief Secretary to Govt. of Punjab, Department of Agriculture, Civil Secretariat-I, Punjab, Sec.1, Chandigarh and another

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…..Respondents

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CORAM:- HON'BLE MS. JUSTICE NIDHI GUPTA

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Present:Mr. Arvinder Singh, Advoc a te for the petitioner.

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Mr. Manmeet Singh Teji, A A G Punjab.

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NIDHI GUPTA J. (Oral)

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Prayer in this petition is for initiation of contempt proceedi n gs against the respondents for n ot complying the order dated 19.7.202 3 (Annexure P-1) passed by a co-ordinate Bench of this Court in C WP-24385-2015 titled as “Sal w inder Singh vs. The State of Punjab t hrough its Financial Commi s sioner (Development) and Principal Secretary to The Governmen t of Punjab, Department of Agriucul t ure, Mini Secretariat, Punjab , Sector-9, Chandigarh and another” vide which the petition was a llowed and the respondents were dir e cted “….to pass an approp r iate order in terms of the recomme n dations of the DPC date d 22.7.2015 and give all conseque n tial and retiral benefits to the p etitioner. The arrears shall

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VIJAY ASIJA 2025.09.12 09.36 I attest to the accuracy and integrity of this document

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COCP-341-2024 (O & M)

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also be c a lculated and released to the p e titioner within a period of 3 months….”

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Compliance Report dated 0 7 .1.2025 by way of affidavit of Shri M ohinder Singh, Chief Conserv a tor of Soils, Department of Soil and Water Conservation Punjab-r e spondent No.2 has already been file d in the Registry, which is anne x ed on the file. The same is taken on r ecord. Copy thereof is supplie d to the counsel opposite.

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Learned counsel for the respondents refers to the submissi o ns made in the said Complia n ce Report dated 07.1.2025, wherein, it is mentioned that in pursua n ce to order dated 19.7.2023 (Annexu r e P-1) the petitioner has been p r omoted as Soil Conservation Officer o n Notional Basis on 07.2.202 3 and notional benefits have also been accorded to the petitioner from 22.7.2015 upto 31.7.2015 on which d a te the petitioner had retired a s evident from order dated 13.12.20 2 4 (Annexure R-3/T). it is furt h er submitted that vide order dated 0 2 .1.2025 (Annexure R-4/T) all consequential benefits including leave encashment etc. have also been released to the petitione r .

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Heard.

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Today none appears on behalf of petitioner. In view of the submissions m ade by learned counsel for the resp o ndent, on instructions from Shri Karamjit Singh, Sr. Assistant , Department of Soil and Wat e r Conservation, Punjab the present p etition is hereby disposed of having been rendered infructuo u s.

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VIJAY ASIJA 2025.09.12 09.36 I attest to the accuracy and integrity of this document

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COCP-341-2024 (O & M) 3

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However, in case any cause of action survives, liberty is

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being gr a nted to the petitioner to revive t he present contempt petition within fo u r weeks from today, if so advis e d.

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Rule stands discharged.

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Pending application(s), if an y , shall stands disposed of.