HC closes contempt plea against TNPSC secretary

he matter relates to an order passed by the court in 2016 in connection with the selection of the petitioner to the post of motor vehicle inspector Grade-II.

The Madras High Court has closed a contempt petition filed against Vijayakumar, Secretary, Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission. One Senthil had filed the contempt plea praying for punishing the official for his ‘wilful disobedience’ of a court order. The matter relates to an order passed by the court in 2016 in connection with the selection of the petitioner to the post of motor vehicle inspector Grade-II.

The order stated that the petitioner should be called for an oral interview within a period of four weeks by constituting an interview board for the purpose. It further stated that all needful should be done within a total period of three months from the date of copy of the order. As the above order was not complied with, the petitioner filed the contempt petition in 2017.

After several hearings, the case came up last month. The court then observed that the time taken by the TNPSC to comply with the order was beyond what has been permitted. Counsel for the TNPSC sought further time of two weeks to finalise the matter.

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When it came up on February 14, it was informed by the counsel that a memo calling for oral interview on February 21 had already been sent to the petitioner. Counsel for the petitioner submitted that no such memo was received by the petitioner. Then the counsel for TNPSC submitted that a photocopy of the memo would be handed over to the petitioner’s counsel enabling him to attend the interview.

Recording the submission, Justice R Suresh Kumar closed the contempt plea.