4 months ago
2
The Supreme Court connected Friday (January 23, 2026) asked a Jharkhand-based lawyer to tender an unconditional apology earlier the High Court successful a suo-motu contempt proceedings which stemmed from a viral court-room speech wherever helium allegedly told a Judge, “Don’t transverse the limit.”
A Bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi disposed of the petition, granting Mahesh Tiwari the liberty to record an unconditional apology earlier a five-judge High Court Bench which had issued a contempt announcement against him successful October past year. The apical tribunal requested the High Court to see the apology “sympathetically.”
“Aggrieved by the transgression contempt notice, the petitioner is earlier us. While explaining astatine magnitude that the petitioner did not mean to origin disrespect to the Hon’ble Judge oregon obstruct the judicial proceeding, the learned elder counsel submits that the petitioner is highly repentant and is consenting to render an unconditional apology.
“Having respect to the supra mentioned stand, we dispose of this with liberty to the petitioner to taxable an affidavit of unconditional apology earlier the High Court. We petition the High Court to see the apology sympathetically,” the Bench ordered.
During the hearing, elder advocator Siddharth Dave, appearing for the lawyer, submitted that the petitioner was "extremely repentant" and prepared to render an unconditional apology.
However, the Bench expressed stern reservations regarding the behaviour of the lawyer.
The CJI remarked connected the lawyer’s evident defiance, stating, “Why cannot helium explicate this earlier the judges? This is his obstinate character. Let him look them. Let him explain. If helium wants to amusement his eyes there. Let him show, and past we volition see. We cognize however to woody with this.” Justice Joymalya Bagchi besides referred to the declining standards of courtroom decorum.
“In each strata of judiciary. determination are issues that instauration of friction becomes a substance of nonrecreational pride,” helium said.
Mr. Dave said the epoch of live-streamed proceedings has created caller challenges, stating, “These video proceedings of Court hearings person go a menace. A announcement for the lawyer is capable to destruct the career.”
The contention dates backmost to October 16, past year, during a proceeding earlier Justice Rajesh Kumar astatine the Jharkhand High Court. The lawyer was representing a lawsuit seeking the restoration of an energy connection.
While helium offered a deposit of ₹25,000, the tribunal cited precedents requiring 50% of the full arrears. Although the substance was yet resolved with a ₹50,000 deposit, the concern escalated aft the lawsuit concluded.
Justice Kumar reportedly made observations regarding the lawyer's mode of statement and asked the Chairman of the Jharkhand State Bar Council to instrumentality cognisance of his conduct.
In response, the lawyer approached the Bench and asserted helium would “argue successful his ain way,” telling the Judge, “Don’t transverse the limit.” Clips of the live-streamed proceedings went viral connected societal media.
A five-Judge Bench of the High Court, comprising past Chief Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan and Justices Sujit Narayan Prasad, Rongon Mukhopadhyay, Ananda Sen, and Rajesh Shankar, took suo-motu cognisance of the substance and issued a announcement to the lawyer.
