JUDGMENT

D. A. DESAI, J.:— An Advocate, the appellant in this appeal under S. 19 of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971, was convicted and sentenced to pay a fine of Rs. 1000/-, in default to suffer simple imprisonment for one month, by a Bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court for committing criminal contempt by scandalising or tending to scandalise, or lowering or tending to lower the authority of the Court of Additional District Magistrate (J), Umaria, then presided over by Shri A. N. Thakur, by publishing a pamphlet on 1st January 1974 commenting upon a judgment rendered by Shri Thakur in a criminal case of which he had taken cognizance on a challan filed by the police upon a report made by one Lal Chand against Betai Lal and his servant Abdul Majid. The High Court took cognizance of the criminal contempt alleged to have been committed by the appellant upon a reference made to it by the Presiding Officer of the Court of Additional District Magistrate (J) under Section 15 (2) of the Contempt of Courts Act.

2. A resume of the events leading to the reference may be briefly noticed. One Lalchand, a tenant, reported at the police station that his landlord Betai Lal and landlords servant