Taking serious exception to the tendency of public servants filing incorrect and incomplete statements through affidavits and memos, the Karnataka High Court on Wednesday imposed a fine of Rs.500 on an officer of the rank of under secretary as around 30 minutes of proceedings were wasted due to production of illegible document.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice D.H. Waghela and Justice B.V. Nagarathna passed the order during the hearing of public interest litigation petitions pertaining to irregularities in the process of recruiting gazetted probationers in 1998, 1999 and 2004 batch by the Karnataka Public Service Commission.
“There are many lousy practices in this court. Statements are filed with errors related to typing, spelling drafting, translation… The High Court is not a tahsildar’s office. Everything is thrown at the court’s registry as if it is a dustbin,” the bench observed.
The Bench also said that the under secretary had issued the notice to three ineligible candidates selected in 1998 citing the High Court’s direction though there was no such a direction from the court but it was an assurance from the government. Stating that the officer, who prepared such a faulty memo, would deposit the fine amount to Karnataka State Legal Services Authority and submit copy of the receipt to the court, the Bench adjourned further hearing till April 11.
