Chief secretary Amit Kiran Deb on Friday filed an affidavit in the high court six months after it was first sought and tendered an “unconditional apology” for the delay.

On Thursday, Justice Debasish Kargupta had accused the government of “harassing the court” by not submitting the counter-affidavit in a case started on the basis of a woman’s petition seeking a job on compassionate grounds.

The state had failed to submit the affidavit on 11 designated dates, holding up the hearing of the case. Justice Kargupta said: “I will pass a separate judgment on the delay by the state in filing the counter-affidavit.”

Starting the hearing, the judge asked the state’s lawyer why Sabi Singh Bauri had not been given a job on compassionate grounds after the death of her husband, a schoolteacher in Burnpur.

The lawyer said Bauri’s petition should not be considered since her name had been struck off the list of candidates claiming jobs on compassionate grounds. The judge asked advocate Milan Bhattacharya to probe the matter.

The state education department was asked to allot a car for Bhattacharya’s use.

“The special officer will have the right to see each and every document that relates to Bauri’s application and the grounds for the government reaching the decision that it did. He will submit the report to the court,” said Justice Kargupta.

Expenses for the probe will have to be borne by the state, he added.