The Delhi High Court convicted Uday Pal Singh of criminal contempt for accusing judges of “illegal acts” in a social media video. Justices Suresh Kumar Kait and Manoj Jain found Singh’s actions demeaning to the Court’s dignity.
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NEW DELHI: Recently, The Delhi High Court has held Uday Pal Singh guilty of criminal contempt of court after he posted a video on social media accusing the judges of engaging in “illegal acts” and passing orders favoring the Delhi Development Authority (DDA). This decision was made by a Division Bench consisting of Justices Suresh Kumar Kait and Manoj Jain, who reviewed the video and determined that Singh’s actions had substantially lowered the dignity of the Court.
In the controversial video, Uday Pal Singh made several serious allegations against the judges of the Delhi High Court.
He stated-
“I fail to comprehend why you consistently issue rulings in favor of the DDA, causing the destruction of public property and families, thereby wasting their hard-earned money. Jai Hind.”
He further claimed-
“I simply wish to express that we lack the resources to challenge your orders in the Supreme Court. Yet, as you occupy the esteemed seat of justice, which is revered as equivalent to that of God in the eyes of litigants, engaging in unlawful activities day and night is deeply concerning.”
Singh also accused the judges of a pattern of misconduct, asserting-
“It has become a tradition among the esteemed Justices of the Delhi High Court to unlawfully transfer private land to the DDA.”
The Bench, upon watching the video, noted the severity of Singh’s accusations.
“The expression and video posted by the respondent on social media depict contemptuous allegations against the Judges of this Court, consequently diminishing the dignity of the justice delivery system. Therefore, we find him guilty under the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971.”
– the Court declared in its ruling.
Background
The contempt proceedings were initiated by Sudha Prasad, who had been engaged in legal disputes with Uday Pal Singh over a property in the New Ashok Nagar area. Their litigation involved multiple civil and criminal cases. On August 24, 2022, Singh posted the contentious video on platforms like Facebook and Twitter, expressing his dissatisfaction with the High Court’s rulings and making direct accusations against the judiciary.
After facing legal consequences, Singh issued an unconditional apology, attempting to justify his behavior by stating that his intention was not to defame the Court or its judges.
He claimed-
“I wish to clarify that my intention was not to tarnish the reputation of the Court or its judges. I had no intention to scandalize the judges or diminish the dignity of the Court.”
Despite this apology, the Court did not accept his explanations and ordered Singh to be physically present during the sentencing.
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Advocate Gagan Gandhi represented the petitioner, Sudha Prasad, while Uday Pal Singh was defended by advocates Kunal Khanna and Sonia Dhariwal.
The Court has scheduled a further hearing on July 19th.
CASE TITLE:
Sudha Prasad v Uday Pal Singh
