Don’t call govt officials at ‘drop of a hat’: Supreme Court to high courts | India News

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has cautioned high courts not to summon government officials ‘at the drop of a hat’, saying they should spend their “precious time” in discharging their duty towards citizens instead of appearing in courts.
Abench of Justices B R Gavai and J B Pardiwala took exception to the Patna HC for issuing a bailable warrant to the additional chief secretary of the educational department of Bihar and stayed the order. The court passed the order on an appeal by the state government.
Senior advocate A N SNadkarni and lawyer Rishi KAwasthi, appearing for the state, placed on record the order(s) passed by HC consisting of one of the judges in 143 matters wherein officers of the state government were directed to appear in person.
Observing that government officials are bound to implement the court’s order and they can be summoned for disobedience, the bench, however, said summoning orders should not be passed unnecessarily. “Their presence in the court wastes precious time which could be otherwise utilised for rendering service to the citizens. Issuing such directions at the drop of ahat undermines it,” it said.