The Supreme Court has consented to hear a contempt plea by Dr. R B Dubey, a retired assistant professor from Madhya Pradesh, who alleges non-compliance with a previous court order directing the release of his pension and other retirement benefits. Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta have issued a notice to Anupam Rajan, the Principal Secretary of the Higher Education Department of the Madhya Pradesh government, setting the hearing for February 18, 2025.
Dr. Dubey’s legal battle for his retirement benefits began after his voluntary retirement was accepted in 2003. Despite his service as an ad-hoc assistant professor since 1986, following his selection by the Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission, his early service period from 1980 to 1986 was not accounted for in calculating his pension and gratuity. This led to a writ petition at the Madhya Pradesh High Court, which ruled in his favor.
The state government’s subsequent appeal to the Supreme Court was dismissed on July 30, 2024, with a directive to ensure the payment of all due benefits within six weeks. However, Dr. Dubey claims that the authorities have failed to comply with this order, prompting the filing of the contempt petition.
The contempt petition highlights an alleged deliberate disregard by the Madhya Pradesh education authorities in fulfilling the court’s directive. According to Dr. Dubey, despite multiple reminders and the submission of the necessary court orders to the department, there has been no action to process or disburse his dues. The delay has pushed him to seek judicial intervention to enforce the order.
