HIGH COURT OF ALLAHABAD
B.N. Katju and V.N. Misra, JJ.
Manik Chand Gupta
Versus
Virendra Kumar
Decided On : 22 November 1978
CONTEMPT OF COURT - PUBLICATION OF ARTICLE IN NEWSPAPER - FAIR COMMENT - LIMITS - ATTRIBUTION OF IMPROPER MOTIVES TO JUDGES - GROSS CONTEMPT - SENTENCE.
Fact of the Case:
A petition was filed alleging that the opposite parties published an article in a newspaper scandalizing a Magistrate's order releasing land in dispute in favor of the petitioners. The article alleged that the Magistrate acted in a partial manner and attributed improper motives to him.
Finding of the Court:
The court held that the article was not a fair comment on the merits of the case but amounted to scandalizing the Court. The court found that the opposite parties were guilty of criminal contempt under Section 12 of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971.
Issues: Whether the article published in the newspaper was a fair comment on the merits of the case or amounted to scandalizing the Court.
Ratio Decidendi: The court held that when partiality is attributed to a Court in passing an order or deciding a case, the limits of fair comment on the merits of the case are clearly crossed and gross contempt is committed. Impartiality is a basic characteristic of a Court and any attack on it seriously affects its prestige and dignity.
Final Decision: The court convicted the opposite parties under Section 12 of the Contempt of Courts Act and sentenced them to one month's simple imprisonment.
( 1 ) THIS petition had been filed by Manik Chandra Gupta and Mohammad kaleem praying that the opposite parties namely Virendrea Kumar, Sampadak (Editor) Deshdoot (Dainki Jagran Jhansi Prakash) Rajender Gupta Managing Editor Deshdoot (Dainik Jagran Jhansi Prakashan), Bajrang Lal Local correspondent of Desdoot Hindi Daily, Cr. Mohammad Usman Chheola and Izhar be punished under the contempt of Court Act.
( 2 ) IT is alleged in the petition that after the order of Sri Gulab Singh Sub- Divisional Magistrate, Machhlishahr, district Jaunpur dated 1-21978 was passed releasing the land in dispute in favour of the petitioner under Section 146 Cr. P. C the opposite parties Bajtang Lal Dr. Mohmmad Usman chheola and Izahar with a view to scandalize the Magistrate got an article published in Deshdoot in Collusion with the Editor of the said paper. The said article runs as follows :
Uttar Pradesh ke anchal se Praganadhikari ke pakshpatpurn ravaiye ke biruddh hartal: Sabzimandi me punah nirman karya shuru hone ki asshanka se tanavpum sthiti ? Mungra Badshahpur (Jaunpur) Sthaniya subzimandi Id kurksuda jamin ke sambandh me Machhalishahr ke Parganadhikari Sri Gulab Singh ke tathakathit pakshpatpurn awam aniyamit ravaye ke birodh me nagar ke samast subji avam phal vikretaon ne aaj purnrup se hartal rakkha jisse samanya upbhoktaon ko atyadhik kathinaiyon ka samana karna para aisa nagirikon ne aarop lagaya. Smarniya hai ki ukt subzimandi ki jamin par bigat pachason varsh se 30-35 garib kunjaron avam Bharbhujon ka kabja raha jis par chhoti chhoti dukane lagakar wey apane parvar ka jivikoparijan karte hai Nagar ke kati-pay dhaninimani log usi bhumi par galat kabja karke apna makan taiyar karna chahte hai. Is nimitt isse purva Apatkal me 23 March 1976 ko bhi uprokt kathit prabhavshali logon ne ratonrat uprokt garibon ko ujarkar makan taiyar karne ka prayas kiya tha kintu tatkaleen prashashnik adhi-kariyon ki tatparta avam satarkta ke karan ukt jamin ko shanti bhaang ki ashanka ke adhar par kurk karke yah aadesh parit kiya tha ki bena kisi sakshan Adalat ke aadesh ke koi bhi nirman karya nahin karney diya jayega. Kintu uprokt Parganadhikari ne ekpaksh ko nirman karya karne ka aadesh pradan kar diya aisa bataya jata hai ki nirmankarya punah pra-rambh hone ki ashanka se pure nagar me tanav byapt hai. Is hartal ke bad aaj nagar ke samast subzi avam phal vikretaon ki ek bai-thak ukt mandi prangan par hui jisme Rajya Sarkar avam Zila Prashasan se mang ki gai ki nagar me shanti bya-vastha kayam rakhne hetu yah awa-shyak hai ki ukt kurki adesh ko kisi tarah se na prabhavit kiya jay jabtak ki kisi paksh ko adalat se nirnya na prapt ho jay. Sath hi sath yah bhi mang ki gai ise Rajya Sarkar adhi-grihit karke swayam mandi ka nirman karke uprokt garibon ko pradatt kare.
( 3 ) IT is also alleged in the petition that Bajrang Lal, opposite party No. 3 propagated against the Magistrate Sri Gulab Singh by a loudspeaker and incited the Kunjras to close their shops. A supplementary affidavit was filed by Suleman on behalf of the petitioners in which it was stated by Suleman that he was approached by Bajrang Lai and Izahar, opposite parties and was paid Rs. 5/- for announcing on a loudspeaker that the Magistrate, Sri Gulab Singh had passed a dishonest and wrong judgment in collusion with the petitioners which he did for two hours.
( 4 ) DR. Mohammad Usman Chheola, opposite party No. 4 and Izahar, opposite party No. 5 have filed counter affidavit in which they have denied the allegations made against them to the petition that they got the above mentioned news item published in the deshdoot Daily. Izahar has also denied that he paid Rs. 5/- to Suleman for propagating by a loudspeaker that the judgment of the Magistrate was dishonest and wrong. In view of their denial we are not prepared to accept the allegations made against them in the petition and in the affidavit of Suleman. They cannot, therefore, be held guilty of any offence under the Contempt of Cour
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