In Brief

The Supreme Court dismissed interim applications filed by three contemnors (Vijay Kurle, Nilesh Ojha, and Rashid Khan Pathan) seeking recall of a contempt judgment and rejected their argument that the proceedings were initiated improperly. The Court held that it possesses constitutional power to initiate suo motu contempt proceedings under Articles 129 and 142, independent of statutory restrictions. The contemnors had made scurrilous allegations against judges, apparently to intimidate them regarding a pending matter. The Court found this amounted to holding the judiciary to ransom and sentenced each contemnor to three months' imprisonment with a fine of Rs. 2,000, with additional imprisonment in default.

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