The Punjab and Haryana High Court has initiated contempt proceedings against Manish Bansal, the Director General of Health Services (DGHS) in Haryana, under the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971. Justice Harkesh Manuja, who presided over the case, outlined the charges due to Bansal’s alleged actions that obstructed the enforcement of a court order concerning the pay scales of two laboratory technicians.
The court’s decision, delivered on April 4 with Bansal in attendance, highlights serious accusations of deliberate and obstructive behavior aimed at frustrating the intent of judicial relief granted earlier. “The respondent’s actions amount to circumventing and manipulating the proceedings, thereby rendering the court’s order ineffective,” Justice Manuja stated. The matter has been scheduled for further hearing on April 23.
Bansal faces potential penalties under Sections 10 and 12 of the Contempt of Courts Act, which could include a fine of up to ₹2,000 or a six-month prison term, or possibly both.
The contempt charges stem from a failure to comply with a 2024 High Court directive that addressed the grievances of Suman Verma and Busan Lal, both employed as lab technicians. The court had ordered a reconsideration of their pay scales and subsequently dismissed the petition. However, the directive was not implemented, prompting the technicians to file a contempt petition in August 2024.
Further complicating the matter, the Supreme Court dismissed an appeal by the state against a 2022 High Court order regarding the pay scale issue for similar employees, yet compliance was still not achieved. According to the petitioners’ lawyer, compliance was the responsibility of Bansal through the Haryana finance department.
Highlighting the gravity of the situation, the bench remarked, “This is a clear-cut case where the respondents are acting in a highly discriminatory, arbitrary, and selective manner, showing willful disrespect and disobedience towards the court order.”
