Delhi HC Sentences Man to One Month in Jail for Threatening Court Commissioner with Gun During Inspection

The Delhi High Court has sentenced a man to one month’s simple imprisonment and imposed a fine of ₹2,000 for criminal contempt after he allegedly threatened a Court-appointed commissioner with a gun during a local commission proceeding in Faridabad.

A Division Bench of Justice Prathiba M. Singh and Justice Rajneesh Kumar Gupta, in a detailed 21-page judgment, held that the man’s conduct amounted to a deliberate interference in the administration of justice.

“The Court, therefore, holds that the conduct of the Contemnor clearly constitutes criminal contempt. Accordingly, in terms of Section 12 of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971, the Contemnor is sentenced to undergo simple imprisonment for a period of one month along with ₹2,000 as fine. If there is non-payment of fine, the sentence shall extend for a further period of 15 days,” the Court said.

The Court added that the non-cooperative conduct of the Contemnor, coupled with the fact that the gun was placed on the table by him during the course of the proceedings being conducted by the Local Commissioner, as recorded in the report of the Local Commissioner, sufficiently demonstrates that the Contemnor intended to obstruct the task entrusted to her by the Court.

Such conduct, it added, “reflects a deliberate attempt with evil motive towards interference in the administration of justice, and therefore, the Contemnor is liable to be punished for criminal contempt.”

The case arose from suo motu contempt proceedings initiated by the Court after a woman advocate appointed as a Local Commissioner reported that she was threatened with a firearm while executing a commission at the premises of Nitin Bansal, the Contemnor, in Faridabad.

The commission had been ordered in connection with earlier proceedings against Ashok Bansal, Nitin’s father, who had been restrained from dealing with 30,000 tons of industrial coal. Allegations surfaced that despite the restraint, he continued to dispose of the coal and alienate assets, prompting the Court to appoint a commissioner to inspect the premises.

According to the Commissioner’s report, Nitin Bansal not only refused to cooperate but also placed a pistol on the table during the inspection.

In his defence, Bansal claimed that the object in question was not a real gun but a toy gun used to scare away stray animals. He contended that it was already lying on the table before the inspection began and was mistakenly noticed by the Commissioner.

The Court, however, dismissed this explanation as “dishonest and contumacious.”

“At each and every stage, the Contemnor has left no stone unturned in committing illegalities after illegalities,” the Bench remarked. “The unconditional apology tendered by him is nothing but a lip service.”

Finding that Bansal’s actions were intended to obstruct the execution of the commission and intimidate a Court officer, the Judges held him guilty of criminal contempt under Section 12 of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971.

The Bench ordered that Bansal be taken into custody from the courtroom itself and sent to jail to serve his sentence.

“The narration of the facts above would show that the acts of the Contemnor/Respondent with the Local Commissioner constituted a clear threat to the Local Commissioner to not execute the commission. The Contemnor is engaged in business activities alongside his father, Mr. Ashok Bansal, and also operates an independent enterprise,” the order stated.

The Court disposed of the contempt petition, including all pending applications.

Case Title: Court on its own motion v Nitin Bansal

Bench: Justice Prathiba M Singh and Justice Rajneesh Kumar Gupta

Order Date: 29 October 2025