1 IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY NAGPUR BENCH, NAGPUR Contempt Petition No.16 of 1999 Arising out of Writ Petition No.2660 of 1998 (Pending) [Ku. Archana B. Keskar (Now Mrs. Pallavi w/o Sudhir Shirkhedkar) v. Atarsingh s/o Babulal Meena and others] Office Notes, Memoranda of Coram, appearances, Court's orders or directions Court's or Judge's orders and Registrar's order Shri V.A. Dhabe, Advocate for Petitioner. Shri S.B. Bangde, Advocate for R- 1 and 2. Shri A.M. Deshpande, AGP for R- 3. Coram : R.C. Chavan, J. Dated : 16 th July, 2009 By this petition, the petitioner complains of disobedience of interim order passed by this Court on 31-8-1998. By this order, respondent Nos.1 and 2 were directed to pay back wages to the employee subject to the decision of the petition within four weeks from 31-8-1998, which the employee was to receive on furnishing undertaking to refund the amount if so directed by the Court at final hearing. The employee, i.e. the present petitioner, furnished the undertaking on 3-9-1998. Rather than depositing the amount, 2 the employer preferred a Letters Patent Appeal, wherein the order was stayed. The appeal came to be dismissed on 8-1-2008 and the stay was thus vacated. The writ petition itself was disposed of by the judgment dated 14-7-2009, virtually upholding that the employee was not entitled to be reinstated. Even so, the learned counsel for the petitioner submitted that till the petition was decided, it was incumbent upon respondent Nos.1 and 2 to comply with the order dated 31-8-1998, in any case, within four weeks of dismissal of their Letters Patent Appeal on 8-1-2008, i.e. one-and-half years ago. The learned counsel for respondent Nos.1 and 2 submits that in the reply filed on 27-4-2009, respondent Nos.1 and 2 have tendered unconditional apology for the lapse and that the said apology may be accepted. Expressing serious disapproval of the conduct of respondent Nos.1 and 2 in failing to deposit the back wages of the petitioner vide order dated 31-8-1998, at least within four weeks from the dismissal of the Letters Patent Appeal, and accepting apology, the contempt proceedings are dropped. In view of this, the contempt petition is disposed of. Judge. pdl