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Dharmendra Sharma v. M. Arunmozhi & Anr.

Contempt Petition · 2026 INSC 10Decided 5 Jan 2026
Contempt Petition (Civil)
Justice Vikram Nath · Justice Sandeep Mehta

Background

After an earlier Supreme Court order directed a development authority to refund stamp-paper value to a citizen, the authority instead physically returned the (by-then expired and useless) stamp papers; the state's separate stamp department refused a cash refund citing an eight-year rule.

Decision Breakdown

The state conceded its refusal was a good-faith misreading of its own rules and apologized. Rather than pursue contempt, the Court directed the state to refund the money within two months in exchange for the useless stamp papers.

Lesson Learnt

When a government body genuinely misreads a court order and offers a sincere apology plus a workable fix, courts often prefer a practical, corrective direction over a punitive contempt finding.

Official source (sci.gov.in)View Judgment (PDF)

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