'Tried To Bully, Brow-Beat': Jharkhand High Court Issues Contempt Notice To Lawyer Seen Having Heated Exchange With Judge

The Jharkhand High Court has issued notice of criminal contempt to an advocate who was seen in a video involved in a heated exchange with a single judge during court proceedings on Thursday, noting that he tried to brow-beat, bully and threaten the judge. 

A five judge bench of Chief Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan, Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad, Justice Rongon Mukhopadhyay, Justice Ananda Sen and Justice Rajesh Shankar had initiated a suo-motu criminal contempt case against the advocate on Friday (October 17). 

In its order the court noted that a video relating to the Court proceedings had gone "viral on the Internet and other social media" and so the court had called for the original of the video through the Central Project Coordinator (CPC). The court also perused the transcript and the video was played in open court. 

Perusing the video bench in its order noted that it relates to Thursday's proceedings before the single judge before whom the advocate had a matter at serial no. 2 and some orders were passed therein in. 

For context, the single judge had on Thursday heard a matter concerning disconnection of a woman's electricity connection who had not paid electricity bill, wherein the court in its order had directed that if the "petitioner deposits Rs.50,000/- (Rupees fifty thousand) towards electricity bill then the respondent No.2 is directed to restore the electric connection of the petitioner within 24 hours on deposition of the amount".

The bench further said:

"...However, when the case at Serial No.4 was called and where none of the parties were being represented by the Opposite Party, yet, the Opposite Party stood up in front of the Dais and interrupted the Court's proceedings. He not only used intemperate language, but also tried to brow beat threaten and bully the learned Judge Justice Rajesh Kumar. Further, the Opposite Party has tried to scandalize the Court by stating that, “the country is burning with the 2 judiciary” and persisted that “he would argue in his own way” and rather asked the learned Judge “not to cross his limits,” while going out of all limits insofar as he alone was concerned thereby undermining the majesty and Authority of law". 

The advocate who was present in person before the bench submitted that he had "no remorse or regret whatsoever for whatever he has done or said in the Court". 

"Prima facie we are of the considered view that the utterances of the Opposite Party amounts to criminal contempt and while invoking our power under Article 215 of the Constitution of India and the Contempt of Courts Act, we direct the Registry to register a suo motu criminal contempt case against the Opposite Party. Issue notice," the bench said.

The advocate waived notice sought three weeks to file this response. 

The court thereafter listed the matter on November 11. 

Case title:  Court on its Own Motion v/s Mahesh Tewari

Cont. Case (Criminal) No. 3 of 2025

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