Agencies
NEW DELHI, Dec 12: Displeased over the repeated absence of the Centre's advocates in several cases, the Supreme Court on Thursday said it did not take pleasure in summoning government officers before it. A bench of Justices B R Gavai and K V Viswanathan on December 11 sought the presence of the director general of the Centre's Directorate General of Health Services while flagging the "casual approach" in a matter concerning admission of a medical aspirant belonging to persons with disability category.
"The court does not take pleasure in summoning the officers to the court. However, when in spite of being duly served, the respondents do not put in appearance, we were compelled to do so," it said.
On Thursday, both the officer and Centre's counsel additional solicitor general Vikramjit Banerjee appeared before the bench.
"What is this? Notices are served and you don't even bother to appear," Justice Gavai said, "this is not happening for the first time. On many occasions, for the Union of India, nobody is present here".
The bench said it had passed the order directing the officer to remain present as despite being duly served, no lawyer had appeared for the authority during the hearing on December 11. The court said it waited till 4 pm for the counsel's appearance but when nobody appeared for the Centre, despite there being many lawyers present, it passed the order.
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