SC stays criminal contempt against Punjab chief secretary in DA arrears case

The Supreme Court on Thursday, 5 November stayed criminal contempt proceedings initiated by the Punjab and Haryana High Court against Punjab chief secretary KAP Sinha over non-compliance with an August 3 order to clear Rs 14,191 crore in dearness allowance and dearness relief arrears within a fortnight. A bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and R Mahadevan questioned the need to send the top bureaucrat to jail, saying, ‘Why are you interested in sending the chief secretary to jail?’ It directed that no coercive steps be taken in civil contempt matters either.

The court gave the state a ‘breather’ but instructed it to present a concrete disbursement plan by March 2027. “You got a breather. Come up with a positive response,” the bench told state counsel. During the hearing, Justice Nagarathna remarked that the court did not appreciate such ‘arm-twisting’ and asked whether the petitioner wanted compliance or jail. The case arises from the Punjab government’s failure to release pending DA/DR instalments, with the high court having mandated 6% simple interest on delayed payments and barred unproductive state expenditure until the dues are cleared.