4 min readChandigarhUpdated: May 27, 2026 08:55 PM IST
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has held Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) Vice-Chancellor Karamjeet Singh and Registrar Karamjit Singh Chahal guilty of contempt of court for “willfully disobeying” judicial directions relating to grant of minimum pay scale benefits to daily wage employees.
A bench of Justice Pankaj Jain ordered both the officials to undergo simple imprisonment for one month. The court, however, suspended the operation of the sentence till July 7, 2027, to enable the respondents to file an appeal.
The contempt petitions were filed by Parveen Kumar and some other employees of the GNDU, through Senior Advocate Puneet Jindal, alleging non-compliance of earlier writ court directions granting benefits of minimum pay scale, dearness allowance and grade pay to eligible daily wage workers.
The court noted that the original writ petitions had been disposed of relying upon the Supreme Court judgment in State of Punjab versus Jagjit Singh and the court had held that employees serving for long periods were entitled to minimum pay scale benefits and, in certain cases, regularisation.
Justice Jain also referred to findings recorded in a 2024 order, wherein it was observed that employees who had completed 10 years of service by the end of December 2006 were entitled to regularisation and could not be denied the benefit on the ground of lack of sanctioned posts or minimum educational qualification. That order further held that employees who had not completed 10 years but continued in service would still be entitled to minimum pay scale plus dearness allowance and grade pay from the date they completed 10 years of service till regularisation.
Quoting from earlier judgments, Justice Jain reiterated that “daily wage workers who work at par with regular employees though cannot claim pay parity with regular employees yet are entitled to minimum pay. The minimum pay includes dearness allowance and grade pay”.
The court further reproduced findings from earlier rulings stating, “The petitioners are working for last 30-40 years and are not part timer whereas they are daily wager and work at par with regular employees…”
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During the contempt proceedings, the petitioners alleged that despite clear directions, the university authorities imposed an additional condition that employees would become eligible for minimum pay scale only after completing 10 years of service.
Referring to a March 25, 2025 order, Justice Jain observed, “It is apparent that an effort is being made to misinterpret the order passed by the Writ Court as well as the settled law as recorded in the decision rendered by the Apex Court in State of Punjab versus Jagjit Singh, 2017 (1) SCC 148, where no such condition of completion of 10 years of service for making an individual eligible for minimum of pay scale has been prescribed.”
The court had earlier framed charges against the Registrar under Sections 10 and 12 of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971, observing that the authorities were “depriving the petitioners of their entitlement” under the order passed by the Writ Court “by circumventing its operation and intent.”
On May 27, after considering affidavits filed by the respondents, Justice Jain concluded, “Keeping in view their incorrigible attitude, they are held guilty of willfully disobeying the orders passed by this court and consequently are held guilty of committing contempt of court.”
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The court then ordered, “Accordingly, both the respondents are sentenced to undergo simple imprisonment for a period of one month. However, the operation of the sentence shall remain suspended till July 7, 2027 to enable the respondents to prefer appeal.”
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