CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has closed a contempt of court case initiated suo motu in connection with non-compliance of orders on streamlining appointments on compassionate grounds after incumbent Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary N Muruganandam and his predecessor Shiv Das Meena appeared in the court.
The officers appeared in the court following a statutory notice issued to them as per recent orders of Justice Battu Devanand. They filed affidavits tendering unconditional apology for non-compliance of the orders on time.
The incumbent chief secretary submitted that a committee was constituted to look into the issues, as per the orders of the court, for making recommendations to amend the Tamil Nadu Civil Service (Appointments on Compassionate Grounds) Rules, 2023.
The judge directed him to submit the amended rules once the exercise is completed.
Recalling a circular issued by Meena, when he was in office, directing the government departments to take necessary action for implementing court orders, Justice Devanand wondered how the officer failed to execute the same directions he had issued.
After finding the orders passed in 2023 with a set of directions to the chief secretary were not complied with, the judge, on June 6, 2025, initiated suo motu contempt proceedings against officers who have served as the chief secretary of TN from September 19, 2023, until now for failing to take action.
The directions included setting up a committee to look into the issues in the appointments on compassionate grounds and recommend necessary amendments to the Tamil Nadu Civil Services (Appointment on Compassionate Grounds) Rules, 2023, to fix a time frame for compassionate appointments.