Justice Battu Devanand passed the order on a contempt petition filed by P Muthu alleging delay in the implementation of an order passed by the court in 2019, directing the district-level empowered committee of Dindigul, headed by the district collector, to reconsider his claim for medical reimbursement within three months.

Justice Battu Devanand passed the order on a contempt petition filed by P Muthu alleging delay in the implementation of an order passed by the court in 2019, directing the district-level empowered committee of Dindigul, headed by the district collector, to reconsider his claim for medical reimbursement within three months.

Though the collector had reconsidered Muthu’s claim and sent necessary recommendations to the insurance company in 2020 and 2021, the company kept the matter in cold storage for more than two years, Justice Devanand noted.

Since the court, in the 2019 order, had not issued any direction to the insurance company fixing the time limit to disburse the amount, the company cannot be charged with contempt of court, the judge held.