M.S. Pandit And Anr. vs S.K. Koul And Ors. on 22 April, 2004
19. We do not wish to make any comment on merit of the pleas of the appellants. The judgment and order of learned single Judge dated 23-11-2000 in SWP No. 934/ 1995 and connected cases has attained finality with the dismissal of the letters patent appeal, and the special leave petition by the Supreme Court. Whether, and if so to what extent, the appellants have contributed to non-implementation of the Court's order is for the learned single Judge to consider at the first instance. As observed above, the main plea of the appellants that without any recommendation by the Selection Body they could not appoint the respondents, does not appear to have been raised before the learned single Judge. Further, whether the case comes within the ambit of the decision/ observations in the case of J. S. Parihar v. Ganpat Duggar (supra), is also to be considered by the learned single Judge at the first instance. The appellants, as seen above, have been asked to submit show cause why they be not punished for violation of the Court's order. It is open to them to satisfy the leaned single Judge that there was/is no willful disobedience of the Court's order by them. Since no final decision has been taken by the learned single Judge to punish the appellants for committing contempt of Court, the appeal, in our opinion, is not maintainable.