In Brief
A man was convicted of criminal contempt of court based on a reference from a Magistrate passed through the District Judge to the High Court of Delhi, but no inquiry was conducted at any stage. The Supreme Court set aside the conviction and sentence, holding that the High Court should have conducted an inquiry before imposing punishment. The Court found that imposing punishment solely on a reference and the respondent's written response violated principles of natural justice. Additionally, the respondent's unconditional apology when asked about sentence was accepted as a mitigating factor, leading to the appeal being allowed.
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