Madras High Court. File
| Photo Credit: K. Pichumani
The Madras High Court has imposed costs of ₹5 lakh on the Tamil Nadu government for having filed an “unnecessary” writ appeal against a single judge’s order, to approve the appointment of a sanitary worker, though the issue was not res integra (untouched) and had been taken up to the Supreme Court in another case.
Third Division Bench of Justices R. Subramanian and G. Arul Murugan ordered that of the total costs imposed by it, the government should pay ₹2.5 lakh to the sanitary worker T. Govinthammal of Chennai and the rest must be deposited in the account of the Madras High Court Legal Services Committee within 15 days.
Advocate Godson Swaminathan brought to the notice of the court that his client, St. Christopher’s College of Education at Vepery in Chennai, had filed a writ petition in the High Court in 2020 seeking a direction to the Directorate of Collegiate Education to approve the appointment of the sanitary worker.
Justice R.N. Manjula allowed the writ petition on November 20, 2023, after taking note of the judicial pronouncements with respect to appointment of staff in minority-run educational institutions. She directed the officials to approve the appointment of Ms. Govinthammal with effect from June 24, 2019.
It was aggrieved against her order that the State government had preferred the present writ appeal, the counsel said. On perusal of records, the Division Bench found that the State had taken up the issue up to the Supreme Court, in another case, and failed to obtain orders in its favour.
“We therefore, see no merit in the appeal. This writ appeal fails and it is accordingly, dismissed. Since we find that this appeal is re-agitation of a matter which is already settled by a Division Bench of this court and approved by the honourable Supreme Court, we impose costs of ₹5 lakh on the government,” the Bench ordered.
Published – March 07, 2025 05:29 pm IST
