The Supreme Court on Saturday authorised the arrest of two high-ranking Uttar Pradesh government officials, against whom the Allahabad High Court had issued bailable warrants for not complying with its orders, Live Law reported.

A bench of Chief Justice of India NV Ramana, Justices Surya Kant and Hima Kholi was hearing the Uttar Pradesh government’s petition challenging the warrants against the finance secretary and the additional chief secretary of the state.

The government officials had denied seniority benefit and regular employment to a “collection amin” from Allahabad in 2017, PTI reported.

On Saturday, the Supreme Court said that it was “distressed and anguished” about the government official’s “reprehensible” approach to the issue.

“Look at your conduct, you are depriving an employee of his arrears,” the court said. “You did nothing to abide by the orders. The High Court has been very kind to you ...you have no respect for the court. This Additional Chief Secretary appears to be very arrogant.”

The Allahabad High Court, which had issued bailable warrants on November 25, 2020, against the government officials, said that the “collection amin” was illegally denied regular employment because of the district magistrate’s inaction.

“This [High] Court is astonished and pained with the awful conduct of the respondents in getting the case adjourned by giving undertaking before this court through the Additional Advocate General and yet they flouted the undertaking at will by denying the petitioner arrears of the salary,” the court had said.

The Supreme Court on Saturday also observed that while the “collection amin” was denied regular employment, his juniors were given job opportunities, Live Law reported. “Despite all this, your [state government’s] additional chief secretary says we’ll not grant permission and relax his age,” the court said.

Additional Solicitor General Aishwaya Bhati, appearing for the officials, said that the service of the “collection amin” had been regularised and only the payment of seniority benefit was pending, PTI reported. She added that the regular employment of the juniors of the “collection amin” had been retracted.

The Supreme Court said that it had not asked the government to remove other employees from their posts, but instead wanted the administration to pay the pending benefits to the “collection amin”, Live Law reported.

“The court directed you to comply [with the High Court order],” the Supreme Court said. “You resisted compliance in every which way. You deserve what you get and more.”