Jabalpur: The Madhya Pradesh High Court at Jabalpur has held that a Joint Director of Town and Country Planning, Bhopal, who appeared before it through video conferencing from his bed, with the buttons of his shirt being closed and in an underpant, committed contempt of court. The Court directed that disciplinary action be initiated against him and issued a show cause notice as to why criminal contempt proceedings should not be initiated.
The order was passed by Justice Deepak Khot on 27 October 2026 in a contempt petition filed by M/s G.S.B. Construction against Amit Kumar Gajbhiye, Joint Director, Town and Country Planning, Bhopal. By an earlier order dated 09.10.2026, the Court had directed the respondent to submit a compliance report, failing which his presence was required. The respondent accordingly appeared in the morning session through video conferencing.
Describing his appearance, the Court recorded that the respondent appeared “from his bed closing his buttons of the shirt and in underpant”. It held that this conduct was not according to court decorum and was contemptuous, and the Court was “compelled to observe” that the respondent-contemnor was guilty of misconduct and had committed contempt of the Court.
The Deputy Advocate General, appearing for the State, submitted that he would take up the matter with a higher official for suitable disciplinary action against the respondent. Taking note of this assurance, the Court directed that proper disciplinary action be initiated against the respondent-contemnor and that a report be filed within four weeks. The respondent was also directed to show cause within the same period as to why criminal contempt proceedings should not be initiated against him for his unbecoming conduct during the proceedings.
The Court then turned to the merits of the grievance. Perusing the compliance report, it noted that the petitioner’s representation had been decided on the footing that it sought a change of land use. Counsel for the petitioner, however, drew the Court’s attention to a letter dated 03.10.2025, filed along with the petition, which showed that the authority itself had already recommended correction of the map and nature of the land. According to the Court, the land had been recorded as industrial by mistake, though it was designated as a residential area under the Master Plan.
The Court noted that the recommendation had been forwarded on 03.10.2025 by the Joint Director, Town and Country Planning, Jabalpur, to the Joint Director (IT), Directorate of Town and Country Planning, Bhopal. In that view, it held that the order passed on the petitioner’s representation was “merely an eyewash”.
Counsel for the respondent submitted that if the petitioner files an application through the ALPASH Portal, the authority would decide it as soon as possible. Recording this, the Court directed the petitioner to apply for rectification of the land use through the portal. The respondent was directed to facilitate the uploading and acceptance of the application within seven days and to decide it within four weeks from the date of its uploading.
The matter has been listed again on 30 November 2026.
Appearances: For the Petitioner: Shri Saket Upadhyay, Advocate, and Shri Dinesh Kumar Upadhyay, Advocate. For the Respondent: Shri Swapnil Ganguly, Deputy Advocate General, with Shri Akash Malpani, Advocate.
Case Title: M/s G.S.B. Construction v. Shri Amit Kumar Gajbhiye, CONC No. 3816 of 2026
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