High Court prohibits meetings, processions, posters on issues involving contempt rule

MP | 18 Jan 2023 | KOLKATA: A three-judge special bench of the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday directed that no meetings, processions or placards be allowed at any place inside the court premises and anywhere outside it till it is seized of the issues involving contempt of court proceedings over protests outside Justice Rajasekhar Mantha’s court. 

Chief Justice Prakash Shrivastava had constituted a special bench of three judges, including Justice TS Sivagnanam, Justice IP Mukerji and Justice Chitta Ranjan Dash for the hearing of the suo motu contempt case initiated by Justice Mantha against the protesting lawyers who barred his access to his courtroom on January 9. 

The hearing of the case began on Tuesday. During the hearing, the court said that it has received a police report in a sealed cover which also contains a pen drive with CCTV footage of the alleged acts of contempt by the lawyers. 

However, the court has expressed its inability to take the same on record as the police authority did not submit an electronic certificate as required under the Information Technology Act. 

The concerned police authority was issued notice and directed to furnish the relevant certificate.Moreover, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed over the boycott of the judge’s bench. For the PIL hearing, the court has asked for a report from the state as well.It has been reported that with regard to the investigation of slanderous posters being hung outside the judge’s house, the court stated that a report needs to be filed by the Kolkata Police Commissioner. 

The next hearing of the case was scheduled on February 2. The court ordered that the police report submitted in the matter will be kept with the Registrar General. 

Apart from this, the Registrar General informed the court that an application has been made for the CCTV footage of January 9, January 10 and January 11. Justice IP Mukerji on Tuesday observed that the section of lawyers who committed this incident has committed a serious crime by obstructing the functioning of the court. 

https://www.millenniumpost.in/kolkata/high-court-prohibits-meetings-processions-posters-on-issues-involving-contempt-rule-505718