The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued contempt notices to a litigant and his legal team for making “scurrilous allegations” against a sitting judge of the Telangana High Court. The top court also rejected their request to withdraw the plea, remarking that such conduct cannot be permitted under the guise of litigation.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran was hearing a transfer petition filed by one N. Peddi Raju through Advocate-on-Record Ritesh Patil. The plea sought transfer of a case related to the Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, who had been granted relief by the High Court in proceedings under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
The petitioner had alleged bias and impropriety on the part of the High Court judge who quashed the criminal case against the Chief Minister. However, the Supreme Court took strong exception to the language and allegations made in the petition.
Issuing show cause notices for contempt to both the petitioner and his lawyers, the bench observed:
“We cannot permit judges to be out in a box and allow any litigant to make such allegations against a judge. Here we were trying to protect lawyers, but this kind of conduct cannot be condoned.”
The bench was referring to an earlier suo motu matter it had heard involving the summoning of lawyers by the Enforcement Directorate for giving legal advice, where the court had taken a protective stance in favour of the legal fraternity. However, the present case, it noted, crossed the line of professional responsibility.
Senior Advocate Sidharth Luthra appeared on behalf of Chief Minister Revanth Reddy.
The matter will now proceed on the question of contempt, with the petitioner and his counsel required to explain why they should not be penalised for making unsubstantiated and defamatory allegations against a sitting judge of the High Court.
