GMCH Patiala senior professor challenges retirement order, files contempt petition

Patiala: Challenging his retirement order and alleging that the Punjab government ignored an earlier court order protecting his service by trying to retire him at the age of 58 years, a senior professor of Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Patiala, filed a contempt of court petition against the state in the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

The court took up the matter recently on an urgent basis during the winter break. The petition was heard by Justice Amarjot Bhatti, who issued notice of motion in the contempt petition after taking a prima facie view that the matter required consideration.

The petitioner, Dr Sanjiv Pal Singh, a senior professor in the post-partum (family welfare) unit at GMCH Patiala, has challenged his retirement order dated December 31, 2025, issued by the principal secretary, Medical Education and Research, Punjab.

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According to Dr Singh, the retirement order was issued despite a clear High Court stay. In an order passed on December 16, 2021, the court had directed the state to maintain the status quo on his service and had specifically stayed his retirement at the age of 58 years until the final decision in his writ petition.

Appearing through advocate Mohit Garg, Dr Singh told the court that issuing the retirement order amounted to wilful disobedience of the court’s directions. He sought action against the principal secretary under the Contempt of Courts Act, stating that the stay was still in force.

Taking note of the submissions, the High Court observed that the matter needed examination and issued notice of motion in the contempt case, reports TOI.

On advance notice, the Additional Advocate General (AAG), Punjab, appeared for the state and accepted notice on behalf of the respondent. The state sought time to file its reply, following which the court adjourned the matter to February 9, 2026.

Dr Singh also informed the court that this was not the first time the department had tried to retire him at the age of 58. A similar attempt in December 2021 was stayed by the High Court, which had even issued a show-cause notice to the then principal secretary for allegedly interfering with the judicial process.

It was submitted that the earlier show-cause notice is still pending, and that the fresh retirement order issued on December 31, 2025, amounts to a second violation of the continuing court stay.

The matter will now be taken up again in February, when the state is expected to place its response on record.

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