RAHIM AND OTHERS Vs. DR. KARTHIKEYAN

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This contempt of court case has been filed by the petitioners, alleging that the directions of this Court in W.P. (C).No.13588/2018 has not been complied with. In the judgment in question, I had directed the District Collector, Kollam, to take up a representation of the petitioners, shown in the writ petition as Ext.P1, and to dispose of the same in terms of law, after affording the petitioners an opportunity of being heard. I had directed the said Authority to complete this exercise within a period of one month from the date of receipt of a copy of the judgment.

(2.) The petitioners contend that even though this Court had fixed the afore time frame, the District Collector, Kollam, had not passed orders in terms of it. I, therefore, asked the learned Government Pleader, who entered appearance on behalf of the respondent, to place on record his pleadings in the matter.

(3.) The respondent's counter affidavit had thereafter been placed on record in September, 2018, wherein he took the stand that he had complied with the directions of the judgment by issuing an order dated 30.07.2018, a copy of which was appended to it as Ext.R1(a). According to the respondent, the proper Authority to a decision in these matters is the Secretary of the Local Self Government Institutions and that he had therefore, relegated the matter to the said Authority for a final disposal. The respondent specifically averred in the counter affidavit that he had acted as per the directions of this Court and that he had no intentions of violating any of the orders issued by this Court.