ORDER

1. Heard the learned counsel for the parties.

2. This appeal is filed against the judgment and order dated 19-11-1996 passed by the High Court of Madhya Pradesh, Bench at Indore, in Contempt Petition No. 44 of 1996.

3. In this appeal, again we are required to reiterate that contempt jurisdiction should be exercised sparingly and in appropriate cases. We find it difficult to understand the reasoning recorded by the High Court in its lengthy judgment for convicting the appellant under the provision of the Contempt of Courts Act.

4. Contempt proceedings were initiated against the appellant who was an C elected Mayor of Indore Municipal Corporation, on the ground that he has created hindrance in executing the order passed by the High Court in a public interest litigation being Writ Petition No. 305 of 1996.

5. In that writ petition, on 28-10-1996, the Court had passed the following order:

"(e) IMC and IDA may consider initiation of action in regard to d matters particularised in para 6(v) and 60 above without pause or procrastination in accordance with law. But matters, enormous in extent and undeniably sources of corruption and destroyers of rule of law, need to be tackled in a