In a rare and humanitarian resolution to a contempt of court case, five senior IAS officers in Tamil Nadu have pledged to visit old age homes and orphanages, and sponsor meals for residents using personal funds. The gesture, seen as an act of atonement, led the Madras High Court to close contempt proceedings initiated against them.
Compassion Over Compensation: Officers Avoid ₹6 Lakh Penalty
Justice Battu Devanand, on his final working day at the Madras High Court before his transfer to the Andhra Pradesh High Court, accepted the written undertakings submitted by the officers and granted them two weeks to fulfill the commitment. The court had earlier proposed financial compensation of ₹1.25 lakh per officer to the petitioners, but the officers instead opted for this non-monetary, service-based alternative.
IAS Officers Involved:
- Kumar Jayant
- S.K. Prabakar
- V. Rajaraman
- P. Kumaravel Pandian
- D. Baskara Pandian
Each officer is required to:
- Spend time with residents of a chosen old age home or orphanage
- Sponsor a full meal for the inmates using personal funds
- Submit an affidavit detailing their service within one week of the visit
Justice Devanand cautioned: “If any contemnor fails to fulfil the undertaking, the Registry shall re-open the contempt petition and place it before this court.”
Background: Delay in Driver Regularisation Sparked Case
The contempt case was filed by three temporary government drivers—C. Chinnathambi, M. Krishnamurthy, and P. Anandhan—through advocate K. Balu, after a nearly three-year delay in the implementation of a 2021 court order that directed their regularisation into permanent posts.
Although the court order was ultimately carried out, the petitioners argued that the delay led to significant financial losses due to withheld wages.
Court Favours Humanitarian Alternative
The court’s initial suggestion for monetary compensation was challenged by Additional Advocate General P. Kumaresan as excessive. As an alternative, Justice Devanand proposed the idea of community service—a move welcomed by the officers and accepted as a more meaningful form of apology.
The court emphasized that this act must come from a place of sincerity, not as a procedural escape. Upon receiving written commitments, the judge formally closed the contempt case.