In a strong response to alleged misconduct in court, the Madras High Court has directed the Arakkonam police in Tamil Nadu’s Ranipet district to initiate criminal proceedings against advocate R. Balasubramanian for obstructing the execution of a non-bailable warrant and for abusing and threatening judges, including a sitting High Court judge.
Justice P.T. Asha also referred the matter to a Division Bench for suo motu criminal contempt proceedings against the senior advocate, observing that his conduct amounted to a direct interference in the administration of justice.
Incident Leading to Contempt Action
The controversy began with a transfer petition filed by three individuals — S. Krishnaveni, M. Markandan, and E. Subramani — seeking to move a property-related civil suit from the Sholinghur district munsif court to a court in Chennai. Justice Asha, upon examining the supporting affidavit, found scandalous and defamatory remarks against judges of the High Court and the district munsif. The opposing counsel was also described as a “fraud and rogue”.
When questioned about how such content was allowed in a court affidavit, advocate Balasubramanian, with 47 years of standing at the Bar, allegedly shouted at the judge and attempted to intimidate the court. As a result, the court initiated suo motu contempt proceedings against the three petitioners and summoned them to appear.
Obstruction of Arrest Warrant Execution
When the petitioners failed to appear on June 4, 2025, the court issued a non-bailable warrant (NBW) and ordered the police to produce them on June 18. Additional Public Prosecutor S. Sugendran later informed the court that although the petitioners had been brought to the premises, their lawyer prevented them from entering by taking away their Aadhaar cards, thereby obstructing CISF officials from verifying their identities.
The lawyer then entered the courtroom and, in an act of serious courtroom misconduct, abused and threatened Justice Asha, reportedly stating that he would “destroy her” if she took any action. He also demanded that the judge recuse herself and claimed he would file a complaint with the Chief Justice.
“Conduct Amounts to Criminal Contempt” – High Court
Justice Asha found the conduct to be criminal contempt of court, stating:
“The contents of the affidavit are also a script prepared by the counsel which makes it all the more shocking to this court, considering the language that has been used not only against the judicial officer but also against the judges of this court.”
The judge further expressed dismay that a senior member of the Bar had acted in a manner that brought discredit to the legal profession. She directed the High Court Registry to forward her order, along with CCTV footage of the incident, to the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry (BCTNP) for appropriate disciplinary action.
Petitioners Apologize, Cleared of Contempt
When the petitioners appeared before the court on June 20, 2025, they submitted that they had not instructed the lawyer to file the transfer petition and had merely signed documents in English without understanding them. They offered unconditional apologies, and the court chose to purge them from the contempt proceedings.
