New Delhi: The Supreme Court rapped the government for clogging courts with unnecessary appeals and imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on a petition challenging the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s decision that had set aside the Centre’s decision to dismiss a CISF officer who helped a couple escape. The officer was removed from the job in 2010 on charges of absence from duty and collusion with the daughter of a CISF constable.

We keep shouting pendency, pendency. SC asked the government, who is the biggest litigant?

She had reportedly helped him escape and marry his friend at an Arya Samaj temple. He had approached the High Court, which directed his reinstatement with 25% arrears of salary following which the Center filed an appeal in the top court.At the beginning of the hearing on Wednesday, a bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan questioned the government for filing the appeal and said the Centre’s decision to dismiss him was disproportionate. The bench reminded that governments are contributing to increasing the pendency of cases by filing unnecessary cases like the present one and said this is a fit case for imposing penalty.“We keep shouting pendency, pendency. Who is the biggest litigant? The High Court gave him relief. Instead of giving an opinion that you will not go to the court.” Supreme CourtYou still move against him. We fail to understand why the Union of India and others have approached this court to oppose the High Court order, the bench told Additional Solicitor General SD Sanjay.The government tried to impress upon the court that it was a case of gross indiscipline as the CISF officer was involved in the eloping of a girl, but the top court upheld the High Court order holding that the girl was an adult on the date of marriage and the charge against the officer did not stand.The HC had said, “Her statement has been recorded and it shows that she got married of her own free will and was an adult on the date of marriage. Therefore, the said allegation does not sustain.”