The Madras High Court, on Friday (June 20, 2025), issued statutory notices to incumbent Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary N. Muruganandam and his predecessor Shiv Das Meena (thus retired) in suo motu contempt of court proceedings initiated against them and directed both of them to appear before the court on July 21.
Justice Battu Devanand passed the orders after being prima facie convinced that the two officials had failed to comply with an order passed by the court on September 19, 2023 in true letter and spirit and had attempted to show compliance only after the court directed the High Court Registry to register the suo motu contempt petition.
It was while disposing of a batch of three writ petitions in 2023 that Justice Devanand had directed the Chief Secretary to constitute a committee for recommending necessary amendments to the Tamil Nadu Civil Service (Appointment on Compassionate Grounds) Rules, 2023 since they suffered from various infirmities.
The judge had also ordered that the committee should consider the issue of fixing a time frame for providing compassionate employment to the dependants of government employees who die in service and consider the possibility of maintaining a district wise list of dependants eligible for compassionate appointment.
