The Aryavarth Express
Agency (New Delhi): The Delhi High Court has commenced a criminal contempt case against a lawyer for making personal attacks on judges and posting contemptuous comments in the chat box of a virtual hearing platform earlier this month. Justice Anoop Kumar Mendiratta emphasized that such reckless allegations against judicial officers have serious implications and must be firmly addressed.
The court noted that the lawyer’s accusations and use of “intemperate” language were deliberate and intended to undermine the judicial process, constituting contempt. “The petitioner (lawyer) appears to have misinterpreted the law, aggrieved by adverse orders from both the District Courts and this Court, and cannot be allowed to make personal attacks on judges, thereby undermining the integrity of the institution,” stated the court’s May 15 order.
Previously, the court had issued a show-cause notice to the lawyer, who claimed his personal case was not being heard, asking why contempt proceedings should not be initiated. The lawyer’s response was deemed “grossly contemptuous” and lacked any relevant explanation.
The court observed that the lawyer had a pattern of making complaints and defaming judges who passed adverse orders in his cases. Consequently, the Registrar General was directed to present the judicial records to the Acting Chief Justice for referral to the appropriate Division Bench handling criminal contempt. The lawyer was also ordered to appear before the Division Bench on May 17, 2024.
