Delhi HC sentences lawyer to 4 months of jail for ‘derogatory’ remarks against judges

The Delhi High Court has sentenced a lawyer to four months’ imprisonment after holding him guilty of criminal contempt for “scandalising and lowering the dignity” of courts through his remarks against judges.

A bench of Justice Pratibha M. Singh and Justice Amit Sharma held the lawyer Mr Sanjeev Kumar guilty of using “deplorable and derogatory language” which was “clearly contemptuous” against judicial officers, high court judges and the court.

“The contemnor has no respect for the courts as also the entire judicial system itself... He has not expressed any apology and his entire conduct is merely an attempt to scandalise and malign the courts. Such conduct on behalf of the contemnor, especially, someone who is qualified as an advocate cannot be left unpunished,” the court said in its November 6 order.

The court directed that the police to take Mr Kumar into custody from the court itself and sent him to jail. The lawyer then urged that the sentence awarded be suspended for a short duration so that he may be permitted to approach the Supreme Court in respect of the order against him.

The court, however, refused the plea saying, “considering the vilification campaign that the contemnor against the Courts in general and several Judges in particular and the brazen nature in which he addressed submissions even in this contempt petition, the Court is not inclined to suspend the order.”

The court noted neither an apology nor any remorse was expressed by the lawyer for his conduct.

“Considering the aforesaid, filing of 30 to 40 complaints against judicial officers, police officers as also the judges of this court by the contemnor clearly shows that his intention is to scandalise the court, as also lower the dignity and authority of the court,” the bench said.

In May, a single judge had initiated suo moto criminal contempt case against the lawyer after he passed personal remarks at judges and posted contemptuous comments in the chat box during the virtual court proceedings.

The division bench held his comments in the chat box were aimed at settling scores with his family and engage with them in frivolous proceedings. The lawyer was observed to have therefore made the scandalous allegations against the judicial officers, judges of the high court and police officers.

Published - November 08, 2024 01:01 am IST