Delhi HC Takes Contempt Action Against Lawyer Over ‘Corrupt Judiciary’ Allegations

While terming the allegations as scandalous and striking at the dignity of the institution, the Delhi High Court has recently initiated contempt proceedings against an advocate who made sweeping allegations of corruption against the judiciary.

Justice Amit Sharma observed, “Reckless allegations of corruption in judiciary have been made by him which are contemptuous, contumacious and scandalous in nature. The same tantamount to scandalising and lowering the authority of Court. It further tends to interfere with judicial proceedings and administration of justice.”

Court made this observation while hearing a contempt petition filed by Gunjan Kumar and another invoking Section 2(b) read with Sections 11 and 12 of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971, as well as Articles 215 and 226 of the Constitution, seeking punishment for the lawyer for what they termed wilful disobedience of a January 17, 2023 order passed by a Rohini Civil Court in Canara Bank v. Vedant.

The matter had earlier come up before the Delhi High Court’s predecessor bench on December 20, 2023, the lawyer appeared in person and tendered an unconditional apology for making allegations against Judicial Officers, stating that he would not repeat such conduct in future.

In January 2024, a show-cause notice was issued after the predecessor bench took note of allegations made by the lawyer in a contempt petition filed by him in the civil suit, and directed him to respond; he was also directed to remain present on the next date.

Soon after, the petitioners moved an application under Section 151 CPC, urging stringent action for aggravated contempt, pointing out the violation of the January 19, 2024, order and continued “scandalous imputations against the judiciary.”

During the hearing on January 24, 2024, the predecessor bench examined an email dated January 21, 2024, written by the lawyer. The message, reproduced in the Court’s order, contained libellous content and charged the judiciary with caste bias, corruption and conspiracy; he described himself as a “victim of judicial terrorism, judicial emergency, judicial corruption and judicial collective conspiracy” and called for a “judicial accountability bill.”

Court said these remarks were “not only scandalous, but also contumacious and contemptuous, aimed at lowering the dignity and majesty of the Court,” and issued notice to the respondent.

In his reply to the show cause notice, the lawyer wrote, “That the corrupt judiciary by making orders will transform the goat into the lion and lion into the goat in India.” He further stated that “due to corruption in the judiciary the respondent 10 precious youth years have been lost,” and continued "that now the judiciary wants respondent will forget everything and trade for false aspersions created by corrupt judiciary."

Court held that a prima facie case of criminal contempt had been made out under Section 2(c) of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971, and directed that the matter be placed before a Division/Roster Bench on November 19, 2025 for further proceedings, with a direction to the respondent to appear in person.

"In view of the aforesaid facts and circumstances of the present case, after perusing the material placed on record in the present petition, this Court, prima facie, is of the opinion that the respondent has, thus, committed “criminal contempt” as defined in Section 2(c) of the Contempt of Courts Act," the Court said.

For Petitioners: Ms. Sumitra Choudhary, Mr. M.K. Raghav Raman, Ms. Nitya Sharma, Ms. Jasmine Sheikh, Ms. Mansi Aggarwal, Advocates.

Respondent: Vedant, in person.

Case title: Gunjan Kumar & Anr. v. Vedant

Bench: Justice Amit Sharma.

Date of order: September 19, 2025.