Office reference Vs R. B. Tripathi and others

Chhatisgarh High Court (Single Judge)

CONC->CONTEMPT CASE, 548 of 2013 of 2015, Judgment Date: Apr 28, 2015

1
HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR
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SINGLE BENCH :HON'BLE SHRI JUSTICE SANJAY K. AGRAWAL
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Contempt Case (C) No.548 of 2013
PETITIONER : Office reference
VERSUS
RESPONDENTS : R. B. Tripathi and others
CONTEMPT PETITION UNDER ARTICLE 215 OF THE
CONSTITUTION OF INDIA READ WITH SECTION 12 OF THE
CONTEMPT OF COURTS ACT, 1971
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Present:
Dr. N.K. Shukla Senior Advocate with Shri Manoj Paranjape,
amicus curiae.
None for Intervener.
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O R D E R [C.A.V.]
(Delivered on 28.04.2015)
(1) Invoking the contempt jurisdiction of this Court under Section
12 of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971(hereinafter called as,
‘Act of 1971’) read with Article 215 of the Constitution of
India, this reference has been made by the Commissioner
for Persons with Disabilities Chhattisgarh, Durg herein
alleging non-compliance of order dated 07.03.2013 passed
by him in case No. 13 of 2012-13 “Mukesh Kumar Sahu v.
Chhattisgarh State Power Holding Company Limited,
Raipur”.
Page 1 of 16
2
(2) Shri Mukesh Kumar Sahu (hereinafter called as,
‘complainant’) a person with disability working as a Assistant
Engineer in Chhattisgarh State Power Distribution Company
Limited filed a complaint under Sections 62 read with 63 of
the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection
of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995 (hereinafter called
as, ‘Act of 1995’) against the said company stating inter alia
that the reservation for the post of persons with disabilities
be made applicable to such persons working in the company
on the post of Assistant Engineer w.e.f. from 2010 and he be
granted promotion and other consequential service benefits.
(3) The Commissioner for persons with disabilities in purported
exercise of power under Sections 61 and 62 of the Act of
1995 passed an order on 07.03.2013 directing the aforesaid
Company to reserve 6% post for persons with disabilities in
the cadre of Assistant Engineer and the consequential
benefit be granted to the complainant/Assistant Engineer
and held as under:-
“ vr,o fu%’kDr O;fDr (leku volj] vf/kdkjk sa dk
laj{k.k rFkk i w. kZ H kkxhnkjh ) vf/kfu;e] 1995 dh /kkjk 61 ,o a
62 e sa iznRr vf/kdkjk sa dk iz;k sx djr s gq; s vkn sf’kr djrk
gW wa fd NRrhlx< + jkT; fo|qr gk sfYMax@forj.k daiuh vkn s’k
tkjh gk su s ds ,d ekg ds H khrj fuEuk afdr dk;Zokgh i w. kZ dj
22 vizSy 2013 dk s le{k mifLFkr gk sdj ikyu izfro snu
izLrqr dj sa%&
Page 2 of 16
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1- lu~ 1995 ls dfu"B vfHk;ark@lgk;d vfHk;ark ds lh/kh
H krhZ ds ink sa e sa fu%’kDrtuk sa ds fy, vkjf{kr 06 izfr’kr ink sa dh
x.kuk dj cSdykWx dh HkrhZ dh dk;Zokgh izkj aH k dj saA
2- ifjoknh Jh eqds’k dqekj lkg w dk s Hkkjr ljdkj ds jkti=
fnuk ad 30 twu 2001 ls in dk fpUgk adu ekudj lgk;d ; a=h ds
in ij fu;qDr ekur s gq; s ofj"Brk ,o a vU; ykH k iznku dju s dk
vkn s’k izlkfjr dj izfrfyfi izLrqr dj saA ”
(4) Thereafter notices were issued by the Commissioner for
persons with disabilities to the Officers of the Company for
compliance of his order dated 07.03.2013. The said
Company filed reply to the Commissioner for persons with
disabilities that they have preferred W.P.(C) No. 815 of 2013
“Chhattisgarh State Power Holding Company Limited v.
Commissioner for persons with disabilities and others”
before this Court which is pending consideration therefore
time be granted to file reply and to await the decision of
pending writ petition.
(5) The Commissioner for persons with disabilities finding the
reply unsatisfactory, referred the matter to this Court under
Section 12 of the Act of 1971 stating inter-alia that it is a
case of deliberate and willful dis-obedience of order passed
by Court of Commissioner for persons with disabilities.
(6) The reference petition has been registered as a contempt
case. Dr. N. K. Shukla Senior Advocate was appointed as
amicus curiae to assist the Court.
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(7) Dr. N. K. Shukla learned Senior counsel assisted by Mr.
Manoj Paranjape appearing as amicus curiae would submit,
that the Commissioner for persons with disabilities is not a
court subordinate to the High Court within the meaning of
Section 10 of the Act of 1971. Elaborating his submission he
would submit that the Commissioner for persons with
disabilities appointed under Section 57 of the Act of 1995
would have the powers of civil court under Section 63 of the
Act only for the purpose of discharging the function under the
Act, but the Commissioner has no power of a civil court
including power to give definitive judgment as such the
contempt petition as referred under Section 12 of the Act for
non-compliance of order dated 07.03.2013 is not
maintainable in law and as such the contempt petition
deserves to be dismissed as not maintainable in law.
(8) I have heard the Dr. N.K. Shukla, learned Senior counsel
with Mr. Manoj Paranjape learned amicus curiae on the
question of maintainability of reference petition made under
Section 12 of the Act of 1971.
(9) At this stage, it would be appropriate to notice Section 10 of
Act of 1971, which deals with powers of High Court to punish
for the contempt of sub-ordinate court :-
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“10. Power of High Court to punish contempts of
subordinate Courts- Every High Court shall have
and exercise the same jurisdiction, powers and
authority, in accordance with the same procedure
and practice, in respect of contempts of Courts
subordinate to it as it has and exercises in respect
of contempts of itself:
Provided that no High Court shall take
cognizance of a contempt alleged to have been
committed in respect of a Court subordinate to it
where such contempt is an offence punishable
under the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860).”
(10) The question for consideration would be whether
“Commissioner for persons with disabilities appointed under
Section 57 of the Act of 1995” is a “Court subordinate to High
Court” within the meaning of Section 10 of the Act of 1971.
(11) The word “Court” is not defined in Act of 1971. Section 3 of
the Indian Evidence Act defines the “Court” as under:-
"Court" includes all Judges and Magistrates, and all
persons, except arbitrators, legally authorized to
take evidence.”
(12) Their Lordships of the Supreme Court in the case of
Brajnandan Sinha v. Jyoti Narain1, has held that the word
“Court” is not defined in the Contempt of Courts Act and the
expression “Courts subordinate to the High Courts” in
Section 3(1) would prima facie mean the courts of law
subordinate to the High Courts in hierarchy of Courts
established for the purpose of administration of justice
1 1956 Cri.L.J. 156
Page 5 of 16
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throughout the Union. The definition of “Court” in Section 3
of the Evidence Act is not exhaustive but framed only for the
purpose of that Act and is not to be extended where such an
extension is not warranted.
(13) In Brajnandan Sinha (supra), their Lordships while
considering whether a Commissioner appointed under
Public Servant (Inquiries) Act, 1985 is a Court within the
meaning of the term used in Act of 1971 laid down the test
for determining what is a Court within the connotation of
term as used in Act of 1971 and held as under:-
“14. The pronouncement of a definitive judgment is
thus considered the essential 'sine qua non' of a
Court and unless and until a binding and
authoritative judgment can be pronounced by a
person or body of persons it cannot be predicated
that he or they constitute a Court.
18. It is clear, therefore, that in order to constitute a
Court in the strict sense of the term, an, essential
condition is that the Court should have, apart from
having some of the trappings of a judicial tribunal,
power to give a decision or a definitive judgment
which has finality and authoritativeness which are
the essential tests of a judicial pronouncement.”
(14) In the case of Thakur Jugal Kishore Sinha v. The
Sitamarhi Central Co-operative Bank Ltd2, has held as
under:-
“The subordination for the purpose of Section 3 of
the Contempt of Courts Act means judicial
subordination and not subordination under the
2 1967 Cri.L.J.1380
Page 6 of 16
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hierarchy of Courts under the Civil Procedure Code
or the Criminal Procedure Code.”
(15) The Supreme Court, in the case of Bharat Bank Ltd. v.
Employees of the Bharat Bank Ltd.3, has held that the
Industrial Tribunal, though discharges judicial functions, is
not a “Court”. The functions and duties of the Industrial
Tribunal are very much like those of a body discharging
judicial functions although it is not a “Court” in the technical
sense of the word as under:-
“7. Now there can be no doubt that the industrial
tribunal has, to use a well-known expression, "all the
trappings of a Court" and performs functions which
cannot but be regarded as judicial. […]
23. […] There can be no doubt that to be a Court,
the person or persons who constitute it must be
entrusted with judicial functions, that is, of deciding
litigated questions according to law. However, by
agreement between parties arbitrators may be
called upon to exercise judicial powers and to
decide a dispute according to law but that would not
make the arbitrators a Court. It appears to me that
before a person or persons can be said to constitute
a Court, it must be held that they derive their powers
from the State and are exercising the judicial
powers of the State. In R.v. London Country Council
(1931) 2 K.B. 215: (100 L.J. K.B. 760), Savilla L.J.
gave the following meaning to the word "Court" or
"judicial authority”:-
"It is not necessary that it should be a Court in
the sense that this Court is a Court; it is enough if it
is exercising, after hearing evidence, judicial
functions in the sense that it has to decide on
evidence between a proposal and an opposition;
and it is not necessary to be strictly a Court; if it is a
tribunal which has to decide rightly after hearing
evidence and opposition."
3 AIR 1950 SC 188
Page 7 of 16
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As pointed out in picturesque language by Lord
Sankey L.C. in Shell Cc. of Australia v. Federal
Commissioner of Taxation, (1931) A.C. 275 : (100
LJ P.C. 55), there are tribunals with many of the
trappings of a Court which, nevertheless, are not
Courts in the strict sense of exercising judicial
power. It seems to me that such tribunals though
they are not full-fledged Courts, yet exercise quasijudicial
functions are within the ambit of the word
"tribunal' in Art.136 of the Constitution. It was
pointed out in the above case that a tribunal is not
necessarily a Court in this strict sense because it
gives a final decision, nor because it hears
witnesses on oath, nor because two or more
contending parties appear before it between whom
it has to decide, not because it gives decisions
which affect the rights of subjects nor because there
is an appeal to a Court, nor because it is a body to
which a matter is referred by another body. […]”
(16) The Supreme Court in the matter of Jagadguru
Annadanishwara Maha Swamiji v. V. C. Allipur and
another4, has held as under:-
“9. It is now well settled principle of law and having
regard to the definition of the Court contained in
various statutes like Code of Civil Procedure or the
Evidence Act would mean a Tribunal, whose
decision shall be final and/or would be entitled to
take evidence in terms of the provisions of the
Evidence Act. It is also well settled that although a
Tribunal may exercise some of its powers in terms
of the Code of Civil Procedure or Code of Criminal
Procedure and have all the trappings of a Court but
still would not be treated as a Court……..”
(17) In the matter of P. Sarathy v. State Bank of India5, their
Lordships of the Supreme Court has laid down the essential
test of judicial pronouncement by observing as under:-
4 A.I.R. 2009 SC 3056
5 (2000) 5 SCC 355
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“13……….in order to constitute a court in the strict
sense of the term, an essential condition is that the
court should have apart from having some of the
trappings of a judicial tribunal, power to give a
decision or a definitive judgment which has finality
and authoritativeness which are the essential tests
of a judicial pronouncement.”
(18) It would be appropriate at this stage, to note the relevant
provision of Act of 1995 to determine whether the
Commissioner appointed under Act of 1995 is a Court
subordinate to High Court under Section 12 of the Act of
1971. The Act of 1995 was passed to give effect to the
proclamation on the full participation on equality of the
people with disabilities in the Asian and pacific region.
(19) The Chief Commissioner for persons with disabilities has to
be appointed by the Central Government by notification
under Section 57 of the Act. The Commissioner for persons
with disabilities has to be appointed by the State
Government under Section 60 of the Act. The functions of
the Chief Commissioner and are enumerated in Section 58
and Section 59 of the Act of 1995. The powers of the
Commissioner is provided in Section 61 of the Act and under
Section 62 of the Act of 1995. The Commissioner has to
look into the complaints with respect to matters relating to
deprivation of rights of the persons with disabilities. Sections
61 and 62 of the Act of 1995 provides as under:-
Page 9 of 16
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“61 Powers of the Commissioner.- The
Commissioner within the State shall-
(a) co-ordinate with the departments of the State
Government for the programmes and
schemes for the benefit of persons with
disabilities;
(b) monitor the utilisation of funds disbursed by
the State Government.;
(c) take step to safeguard the rights and facilities
made available to persons with disabilities;
(d) submit reports to the State Government on
the implementation of the Act at such
intervals as that Government may prescribe
and forward a copy thereof to the Chief
Commissioner.
62. Commissioner to look into complaints with
respect to matters relating to deprivation of
rights of persons with disabilities.- Without
prejudice to the provisions of Section 61 the
Commissioner may of his own motion or on the
application of any aggrieved person or otherwise
look into complaints with respect to matter relating
to –
(a) deprivation of rights of persons with
disabilities;
(b) non-implementation of laws, rules, bye-laws,
regulations, executive order, guidelines or
instructions made or issued by the
appropriate Governments and the local
authorities for the welfare and protection of
rights or persons with disabilities,
and take up the matter with the appropriate
authorities.”
(20) Section 63 of the Act provides that the Chief Commissioner
and the Commissioners shall, for the purpose of discharging
their functions under this Act, have the same powers as are
vested in a court under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908
Page 10 of 16
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(5 of 1908) while trying a suit, in respect of the following
matters, namely – (a) summoning and enforcing the
attendance of witnesses; (b) requiring the discovery and
production of any document; (c) requisitioning any public
record or copy thereof from any court or office; (d) receiving
evidence on affidavits; and (e) issuing commissions for the
examination of witnesses or documents.
(21) Reading the aforesaid provisions, it is clear that the
Commissioner for persons with disabilities though having
trappings of Civil Court under the Code of Civil Procedure
and on the other hand, by virtue of provision contained in
Section 63 of the Act of 1995, it will have same power of civil
court in respect of enforcing the attendance of any person
and examining him on oath, compelling production of
documents and the proceedings before the Chief
Commissioner and Commissioner shall be judicial
proceeding within the meaning of Sections 193 and 228 of
the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860) and the Chief
Commissioner, the Commissioner, the competent authority,
shall be deemed to be a civil court for the purposes of
Section 195 and Chapter-XXVI of the Code of Criminal
Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974).
Page 11 of 16
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(22) In the matter of All Indian Overseas Bank SC & ST
Employees’ Welfare Association v. Union of India and
others6, their Lordships of the Supreme Court while
considering the provision similar to Section 63 of Act of 1995
held as under:-
“5. It can be seen from a plain reading of clause (8)
that the Commission has the power of the civil court
for the purpose of conducting an investigation
contemplated in sub-clause (a) and an inquiry into a
complaint referred to in sub-clause (b) of clause (5)
of Article 338 of the Constitution.
10. Interestingly, here, in clause (8) of Article 338,
the words used are “the Commission shall … have
all the powers of the Civil Court trying a suit”. But
the words “all the powers of a Civil Court” have to
be exercised “while investigating any matter referred
to in sub-clause (a) or inquiring into any complaint
referred to in sub-clause (b) of clause 5”. All the
procedural powers of a civil court are given to the
Commission for the purpose of investigating and
inquiring into these matters and that too for that
limited purpose only. The powers of a civil court of
granting injunctions, temporary or permanent, do
not inhere in the Commission nor can such a power
be inferred or derived from a reading of clause (8) of
Article 338 of the Constitution.”
(23) Similarly, the Supreme Court in the matter of Bhabani
Prasad Jena v. Orissa State Commission for Women7,
while considering Section 10 of Orissa State Commission for
Women Act, 1993 has held that the State Commission under
Section 10 of the Act of 1993 has no authority or
competence to direct for DNA test :-
6 (1996) 6 SCC 606
7 (2010) 8 SCC 633
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“11. Mr Ranjan Mukherjee, learned counsel for
Respondent 2 submitted that once a power has
been given to the State Commission to receive
complaints including the matter concerning
deprivation of women of their rights, it is implied that
the State Commission is authorised to decide these
complaints. We are afraid, no such implied power
can be read into Section 10(1)(d) as suggested by
the learned counsel. The provision contained in
Section 10(1)(d) is expressly clear that the State
Commission may receive complaints in relation to
the matters specified therein and on receipt of such
complaints take up the matter with the authorities
concerned for appropriate remedial measures. The
1993 Act has not entrusted the State Commission
with the power to take up the role of a court or an
adjudicatory tribunal and determine the rights of the
parties. The State Commission is not a tribunal
discharging the functions of a judicial character or a
court.”
(24) Recently in the matter of State Bank of Patiala and others
v.Vinesh Kumar Bhasin8, their Lordships of the Supreme
Court considering the power of Commissioner for person
with disabilities under Section 63 of the Act of 1995 has
clearly held that the an authority functioning under the Act of
1995 has no power to issue any mandatory injunction and
certain powers of the civil court has been conferred for
discharge of their function and Commissioner cannot
assume the powers of the civil court and held as under in
paragraph 18:-
“18. It is evident from the said provisions, that
neither the Chief Commissioner nor any
Commissioner functioning under the Disabilities Act
has power to issue any mandatory or prohibitory
8 (2010) 4 SCC 368
Page 13 of 16
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injunction or other interim directions. The fact that
the Disabilities Act clothes them with certain powers
of a civil court for discharge of their functions (which
include the power to look into complaints), does not
enable them to assume the other powers of a civil
court which are not vested in them by the provisions
of the Disabilities Act……………..”
(25) Thus applying the test laid down for determining whether the
Commissioner appointed under the Act of 1995 is a Court
subordinate to High Court within the meaning of terms as
used in Act of 1971, it would appear that the status and
position of the Commissioner for persons with disabilities
under the Act of 1995 is to look into the complaints with
respect to matters relating to deprivation of rights of persons
with disabilities and to take steps to safeguard the rights and
facilities made available to the persons with disabilities and
submit report to the State Government, on the
implementation of the Act and report/order of Commissioner
lacks both finality and authoritativeness which are essential
tests of a judicial pronouncement as the Commissioner is
having only some of the trappings of the judicial tribunal
having no power to grant any mandatory or prohibitory
injunction, therefore the Commissioner of persons with
disabilities is clearly not a “Court subordinate to the High
Court” for the purpose of Section 10 of the Contempt of
Courts Act, 1971. It is held so accordingly and as such
reference made by the Commissioner under Section 12 of
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Act of 1971 is held to be incompetent and not maintainable
in law.
(26) As a fall out and consequence of aforesaid discussion the
reference made under Section 12 of the Act of 1971 by the
Commissioner for persons with disabilities under the Act of
1995 is dismissed as not maintainable in law.
(27) Before, parting with the case, this Court appreciates
the valuable assistance rendered to this Court by
Dr. N. K. Shukla, Sr. Advocate assisted by Mr. Manoj
Paranjape, Advocate as amicus curiae. No order as to
cost(s)
Judge
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Head Note
(English)
Commissioner for persons with disabilities is not a Court subordinate
to High Court for the purpose of Section 10 of Contempt of Courts
Act, 1971.
fgUnh
vk;qDr (fu%'kDr O;fDrd) /kkjk 10 voekuuk vf/kfu;e] 1971 ds izk;kstu ds fy;s mPp U;k;ky; dk vf/kuLFk
U;k;ky; ugha gASa
(Laxmi Pandey)
P.S. to Hon'ble Shri
Justice Sanjay K. Agrawal
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