Chennai, Aug 3 (IANS): The Madras High Court has warned a senior IAS officer of serious consequences if he does not strictly comply with the orders issued by the court.

Justice M. Sudheer Kumar on Saturday warned the Managing Director of Tamil Nadu Salt Corporation, C.N. Mahesvaran, while closing a contempt of court petition filed against him in 2019.

The court said the officer need not be punished for contempt now as the 2017 court order had already been enforced even though there was a delay of seven years.

C. Murugan, an electrician with the Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage (TWAD) Board, had filed a case against Mahesvaran who was then the Managing Director of the TWAD Board.

He had approached the court seeking refixing his pay and pension in 2017 and the court had ordered in favour of the petitioner.

The counsel for the petitioner, M. Radhakrishnan, has alleged in the court that its orders were not complied with, adding that his client filed a contempt of court petition in 2019 and the orders were implemented only on June 24, 2024.

Justice Sudheer Kumar said, “This court feels that the respondent should be warned not to act in future in the manner in which he acted in the instant case and to take all necessary steps to comply with the judicial orders passed by this court in the future."

He added, “In case any such negligence or lenience is noticed on the part of the respondent in the future, the same would be viewed seriously by this court.“

Justice Sudheer Kumar also said that the inordinate delay by the respondent clearly showed the negligence and carelessness of the respondent in complying with the orders passed by the court.