In Brief

The Supreme Court held three advocates—Shri Vijay Kurle, Shri Rashid Khan Pathan, and Shri Nilesh Ojha—guilty of criminal contempt for making scurrilous and scandalous allegations against two Judges (Justice R.F. Nariman and Justice Vineet Saran) in complaints sent to the President and Chief Justice in March 2019. The allegations questioned the Judges' impartiality, integrity, and legal knowledge without factual basis. The Court rejected contentions that the suo motu proceedings violated the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971, holding that the Supreme Court's contempt power derives from Article 129 and is not confined by statute. While reaffirming that fair criticism of judicial decisions is protected, the Court found that scandalous allegations threatening to 'expose' Judges and suggesting criminal mindedness amounted to contempt. The case was remitted for hearing on sentence."

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