The Bombay High Court is taking legal action against three lawyers for their role in a false news report, emphasizing the importance of integrity in legal proceedings.
The Bombay High Court has taken serious action against three lawyers for their role in creating a false news report. This report was apparently made to force a High Court judge to step down from a case. As a result, the court has started contempt of court proceedings against these lawyers, indicating the court’s strong disapproval of their actions.
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Amar Mulchandani is accused of money laundering more than ₹400 crores. He wanted the High Court to stop the case against him. During the court process, a junior lawyer named Zoheb Merchant urgently asked for a hearing. This request was on behalf of Bhisham Pahuja, another lawyer involved in Mulchandani’s case. Pahuja had joined in Mulchandani’s petition to stop the case.
The application included a news clipping that claimed there was a strong rumor that the High Court was likely to grant bail to Mulchandani. The clipping further alleged that Mulchandani was friends with Justice Nitin Sambre, the High Court judge presiding over the case. Additionally, it was reported that a complaint had been lodged with the Chief Justice, requesting the reassignment of the case to another bench due to these purported connections.
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Later, Pahuja clarified that he shared information about the news clipping with Merchant solely to bring to the judge’s attention that certain unscrupulous elements were tarnishing his reputation. Nevertheless, the division bench of the High Court expressed strong disapproval of this action. The judges held the opinion that presenting a news clipping to the court without verifying its authenticity raised doubts about the sincerity of Pahuja’s intentions.
The judge stated,
“We are constrained to remind Respondent No.5 and alike that Judges are insusceptible to any kind of personal criticism and nothing said or written by the so-called unscrupulous elements impacts or influences the decision-making process or impairs the fearless discharge of duties,”
as recorded in the order.
The Bombay High Court’s choice to start contempt proceedings serves as a clear message about the judiciary’s dedication to maintaining the law and its refusal to tolerate any efforts to weaken the legal process. Both the legal community and the public are closely observing the progress in this case, highlighting the importance of the judicial system’s integrity and the necessity for everyone in the legal process to follow the highest standards of behavior.
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