1 CPG-160.08 IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION CONTEMPT PETITION NO.160 OF 2008 Masaneshwari Devi Devasthan Sarwajanik Vikas Trust & Ors. .... Petitioners Vs. Kashinath Channappa Som- shetti & Ors. .... Respondents WITH CONTEMPT PETITION NO.161 OF 2008 Masaneshwari Devi Devasthan Sarwajanik Vikas Trust & Ors. .... Petitioners Vs. Sou. Janabai Lakshman Jadhav & Ors. .... Respondents AND CONTEMPT PETITION NO.162 OF 2008 Masaneshwari Devi Devasthan Sarwajanik Vikas Trust & Ors. .... Petitioners Vs. Smt. Shantabai Appa Surange & Anr. .... Respondents S/Shri S.P. Kadam with Chetan Patil for the Petitioners. Shri A.I. Patel, AGP, for Respondent Nos.1 to 3 in CP-160/08, for Respondent No.5 in CP-161/08 and for Respondent No.2 in CP-162/08. S/Shri Sagar Mane for Respondent Nos.1 to 4 in CP-161/08. 2 CPG-160.08 CORAM: R.C. CHAVAN, J. DATED: JULY 23, 2010 P.C: These three thoroughly misconceived contempt petitions have been filed by alleging that the Tahsildar, who was not a party to Civil Suit Nos.93, 94 and 95 of 2004 before the Civil Judge, Senior Division, Kolhapur has committed disobedience of the orders passed by the learned Judge. First, the Tahsildar was not a party before the Civil Court. The judgments and decrees in the three suits are only to declare that the plaintiffs are the owners of the suit property and to restrain the defendants perpetually from disturbing the possession of the plaintiffs over the suit property. The plaintiffs claim to have approached the Tahsildar for correcting revenue record and the Tahsildar allegedly refused to do so and thus disobeyed the orders of the Civil Court. But since there is no direction to the Tahsildar to correct revenue record, there is no question of disobedience of the orders of the Civil Court by the Tahsildar. Contempt jurisdiction is akin to jurisdiction of a 3 CPG-160.08 criminal Court. Unless it is shown that there is an order to the person/authority which is defied by the authority concerned, there is no warrant to invoke the contempt jurisdiction. In any case, since the orders of the Civil Court can be got executed by approaching the Civil Court, there is no question of the petitioners approaching this Court. If the petitioners are aggrieved by the orders passed by the Tahsildar, they may approach the higher revenue authorities by appropriate proceedings. Rushing to this Court not only unnecessarily adds to the burden of this Court but also amounts to abuse of process of law. The contempt petitions are, therefore, dismissed. (R.C. CHAVAN, J.)