HC criminal contempt notice to BJP MP Raghunandan Rao

The Telangana High Court, on Thursday, issued notices to Medak MP M. Raghunandan Rao of BJP in a contempt of court (criminal) matter for the reported remarks made by the latter against the judiciary.

A Bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice J. Srinivas Rao had taken up a letter written by a judge of the HC about the MP’s ‘scurrilous attack on the majesty of justice that is calculated to undermine the authority of courts and public confidence in administration of justice’ as criminal contempt of court.

The Bench said that the BJP MP had challenged the authority of the court and interfered with the performance of duties of judges or judicial process and administration of justice.

On August 24, Mr. Rao questioned the action of a single judge of the HC in granting an order to maintain status quo in a writ petition connected to demolition of N-Convention, while addressing a press conference. He maintained that a Bench of the HC in 2014 passed a direction to demolish the same structure and questioned the recent order of the HC judge passing the interim order to maintain status quo.

The MP reportedly said at the press meet that “judges should not take up or hear matters in a hurried manner merely because they are moving by way of House motion and grant stay orders”. The respondent made omnibus allegations against the judiciary that orders of stay are being granted by the court on advocates filing miscellaneous petitions stating sundry reasons, the Bench said.

The respondent sought to impart education on vital legal aspects and impute certain allegations against the judiciary and judges, without knowing the circumstances that led the judge to pass an order to maintain status quo, the Bench added.

Published - September 19, 2024 11:35 pm IST