Chandigarh, Oct. 9 -- The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Friday referred criminal contempt proceedings involving Punjab Chief Secretary K.A.P. Sinha to the appropriate roster bench after his counsel expressed willingness to tender an unconditional apology over allegedly misleading submissions concerning the state's appeal against an order directing payment of pending dearness allowance (DA) and dearness relief (DR) to employees and pensioners.

Sinha appeared before the court as senior advocate Vikas Singh, representing the Punjab government, submitted that the Chief Secretary had no intention of misleading the judiciary and was prepared to offer an unconditional apology if the court so desired.

The High Court, however, observed that the...