High Court On Its Own Motion v. Dr.Mahesh Palkar Director Of Education
Digitally signed by GAURI AMIT GAEKWAD Date:
2025.11.29 11:07:33 +0530 GAURI AMIT GAEKWAD
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY
CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION SUO MOTO CONTEMPT PETITION NO.11 OF 2025 IN WRIT PETITION NO.4964 OF 2025 WITH WRIT PETITION NO.5142 OF 2025 High Court on Its Own Motion ....Petitioner
Versus
Dr. Mahesh Palkar and Anr.
....Respondents ---- Dr. U.P. Warunjikar for the Petitioner in WP/5142/2025. Mr. P.P. Kakade, Addl. GP a/w. Ms. N.M. Mehra, AGP for the Respondent - State.
---- CORAM : RAVINDRA V. GHUGE & ASHWIN D. BHOBE, JJ.
DATE : 27th NOVEMBER, 2025 P.C. :- 1.
The learned Addl. GP tenders a compilation of documents, including the affidavit dated 26th November, 2025 filed by Mr. Ranjit Singh Deol, Principal Secretary, School Education Department (page nos.9 to 23), which is taken on record and marked as 'X-1' for identification, and the affidavit dated 26th November, 2025 filed by Dr. Mahesh Palkar, Director of Education (page nos.1 to 9), which is taken on record and marked as 'X-2' for identification.
2.
The learned Addl. GP submits that both these Authorities have tendered an unconditional apology. The Writ Order has been complied with to the extent of payment, save and except, the exercise of fixing the responsibility on the erring officers. He submits that this exercise would be conducted meticulously and the responsibility would be fixed within 30 days from today. A compliance report would be tendered to the Court within 7 days thereafter.
3.
Insofar as the commencement of pension of the Petitioner is concerned, an order would be passed within 15 days, keeping in view that the Petitioner had joined duties in the year 2000, before the cut-off date, i.e., 31st October, 2005. Cognizance would be taken that he was earlier on part-time basis, and subsequently on full-time basis, and an approval has been granted to his appointment from the date of his appointment. 4.
We record that a reasoned order be passed if an adverse conclusion is likely to be drawn. If the Petitioner's claim of the Old Pension Scheme is accepted, steps be initiated for passing an appropriate order with regard to quantification of the pay scale and commencement of payment of pension, as expeditiously as possible
and preferably within a period of 45 days from the date of the conclusion.
5.
We have taken the assistance of Dr. Warunjikar, the learned Advocate, who has represented the Petitioner in Writ Petition No.5142 of 2025. He has furnished details about the payments received by the Petitioner and the extant of the non-compliance of the order.
6.
Since an unconditional apology has been tendered by both the Accused Contemnors and the Writ Order has been complied with to a large extent, the Suo-Moto Contempt is purged, trusting that the two officers would honour their own statements made before us and would not give the Writ Petitioner another opportunity for filing a Contempt Petition.
7.
In view of the above, this Contempt Petition is disposed off.
(ASHWIN D. BHOBE, J.) (RAVINDRA V. GHUGE, J.)