In a significant development, the Delhi High Court handed down a six-month imprisonment sentence to Advocate Virendra Singh for criminal contempt of court. The charges stemmed from Singh’s making contemptuous allegations against sitting judges of the high court and the district judiciary.
A division bench, consisting of Justices Suresh Kumar Kait and Shalinder Kaur, underscored that Singh had been offered the opportunity to issue an unconditional apology. However, he adamantly refused, maintaining his stance on the allegations he had raised. The court observed that this refusal indicated a lack of repentance for his conduct.
Taking into account the evidence and Singh’s submissions, the court concluded that he showed no remorse for his actions. Consequently, the court sentenced him to six months of simple imprisonment, along with a fine of Rs. 2,000/-. In the event of non-payment of the fine, an additional seven-day imprisonment was imposed. The court directed the authorities to take Singh into custody and transfer him to Tihar Jail in Delhi.
Before his incarceration, the court permitted Singh a brief visit to his home to change clothes, attend to his parked vehicle in the high court parking, and collect necessary medicines for transport to jail.
The contempt case originated from a criminal appeal filed by Singh, scheduled for a single-judge hearing on July 14, 2022. In the appeal, Singh made various allegations against several judges, accusing them of arbitrary, whimsical, or biased actions. The judges were explicitly named in the petition.
Upon inquiry by the single judge, Singh refused to retract the allegations, arguing that they were statements of fact rather than contemptuous accusations. Subsequently, a contempt notice was issued against Singh, and the matter was transferred to the division bench overseeing the contempt roster.
After extensive hearings, the division bench rejected Singh’s argument that the allegations were meant to provide background information. The court deemed Singh’s allegations as “contumacious” and “scandalous,” emphasizing the gravity of an officer of the court making such imputations in judicial pleadings.
The court had offered Singh an opportunity to apologize for the contemptuous allegations, but he declined, maintaining his position against the judges of both the high court and the district judiciary. Ultimately, the court handed down a six-month imprisonment sentence as a consequence of Singh’s actions.
CASE NAME: COURT ON ITS OWN MOTION V. VIRENDRA SINGH ADVOCATE
JUGEMENT DATE:09/01/2024
NAME: GAYATHRI MANOJ ,BBA,LLB(HONS), PRESIDENCY UNIVERSITY, BANGALORE , INTERN UNDER LEGAL VIDHIYA.
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