Chandigarh, April 12 -- The Punjab and Haryana high court has imposed a cost of Rs.3 lakh on a private construction firm, observing that the time has come when not only deterrent costs must be imposed upon government officials, but also on the frivolous private litigants.

"If, in cases of genuine disobedience, costs can be imposed on officials and recovered from their salaries, there is no reason why, in cases of manifest abuse of process such as the present one, the erring petitioner should not be saddled with exemplary costs payable to the affected officials," the bench of justice Sudeepti Sharma observed while dismissing a contempt petition moved by a firm.

The petition was from M/S V K Constructions filed in February 2026 alleging t...