The Supreme Court on Wednesday pulled up government functionaries for willfully disobeying court orders and for refusing to heed summons to appear in person. A Vacation Bench headed by Justice Dalveer Bhandari slammed top officials for behaving as if they above the law,pointing out that instead of appearing in court,they field senior counsel to thwart directions from subordinate courts. It is unfortunate that unless the head of an organisation is called before the court,nothing starts moving. If such directions are issued to a clerk or a head clerk,nothing would move,added Bhandari. These remarks came on an appeal filed by the Kanpur Development Authority (KDA),challenging the direction of the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission that asked KDA vice-chairman to appear before it. Refusing to stay the summoning order,Justice Bhandari said,Your vice-chairman will not appear as directed by the Commission unless he is hauled up for contempt and put in jail. Universal Motors had deposited more than Rs 1 lakh with KDA for allotment of an industrial plot in 1981. But when land prices soared,KDA backed out and offered to pay back the principal amount with interest. Otherwise,Universal Motors was asked to deposit more money for the plot. The company had moved the consumer court,which not only directed KDA to allot the plot but also summoned its vice-chairman.
