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Synopsis

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday directed the Delhi Police to verify the death certificate of a lawyer, an alleged contemnor in a suo-motu criminal contempt case initiated against him for misbehaving with a sitting judge and interrupting court proceedings.

A division bench comprising of Justice Siddharth Mridul and Justice Anish Dayal was dealing with a criminal contempt case against a lawyer namely Shakti Chand Rana for his misbehavior with a sitting judge of the high court and interrupting court proceedings for 45 minutes.

During the hearing, the bench was informed that the alleged contemnor had passed away. It noted that a death certificate had been issued by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). 

Justice Mridul said, "This will have to be verified". 

Consequently, the court directed the Standing Counsel (Criminal) Sanjay Lao to assist and verify the death certificate. The court also directed the Registry to provide a copy of the death certificate to Lao, issued by the MCD (GNCTD), recording the demise of Mr. Shakti Chand Rana. "So as to enable the latter to verify the same and file a report before this court on the next date of hearing", the bench said. 

The matter has been listed for further consideration on October 9.

Notably, the court in February had granted the lawyer, the "final opportunity" to file his reply in the contempt proceedings initiated against him. Justice Mridul had ordered, “Mr. Rana is granted four weeks-time to file a reply as the last opportunity”.

It is to be noted that the court on January 30, had granted two weeks to file the reply to the show-cause notice issued to the lawyer in the suo-moto criminal contempt case and directed him to appear in person on the date of the hearing.

On December 19, 2022, the division bench had issued a show cause notice in the case.

“The suo moto contempt has been initiated pursuant to a direction issued by ld single judge as recorded in the order dated 14-12-2022. Having perused the said order we find it incumbent to issue notice to Mr. Shakti Chand Rana…to show cause why proceedings for contempt be not initiated against him. The registry is directed to issue show cause notice by all permissible modes to be executed through the SHO of the concerned police station”, the bench had then ordered.

The court had directed Rana to file a reply to the show cause notice and also to be present in the court.

The suo moto contempt case was registered on the basis of an order of a single judge of the High Court before whom Rana had appeared and had ‘abruptly disrupted court proceedings’ for 45 minutes. When Rana was told that his case had not been scheduled for a hearing and was asked to leave, he "outrightly refused to leave and continued to shout, shriek, and create an unruly scene, disrupting the court proceedings".

Case Title: Court in its own motion v. Shakti Chand Rana