Madras High Court Sentences Man To 6 Months Imprisonment For Sending Letters To CJI Making Scandalous Remarks Against Judges

The Madras High Court has held a former loco pilot guilty of committing criminal contempt under the Contempt of Court Act 1971 by calling the judges criminals and sending letters to the Chief Justice of India making scandalous and reckless allegations against sitting judges of the High Court and a former judge of the Supreme Court. Bench of Justice MS Ramesh and Justice Sunder Mohan deemed it appropriate to impose a maximum sentence on the man, PU Venkatesan, and directed him to undergo simple imprisonment for six months. The court also directed the Inspector of Police to arrest the Venkatesan and present him before the jail authorities. The court observed that Venkatesan's acts were contemptuous not only against the concerned judges but also the entire justice delivery system. The court also took note that Venkatesan had not shown any remorse for his actions and had rather challenged the judges to punish him. “We are of the affirmed view that such a behaviour is not only contemptuous against us, but also to the entire justice delivery system. Since the contemnor has not shown any remorse, but rather was challenging us to pass any order of our choice, we hold that the letters of the contemnor dated 17.04.2024 and 22.04.2024 scandalizes, prejudices and has interfered with the due course of our judicial proceedings, apart from obstructing the administration of justice,” the court ordered. Venkatesan was already facing suo motu contempt proceedings for making scandalous allegations against District Judges and Supreme Court judges in a Facebook post. During the pendency of the proceeding, he sent communications to the judges in the bench and the counsel for the High Court, making frivolous allegations against the judges and a judge of the Supreme Court. Venkatesan had also filed a petition seeking permission to record the court proceedings on his mobile phone. Along with this petition, he also enclosed a copy of a letter sent to the Chief Justice of India making scandalous allegations. When questioned by the judges, Venkatesan stood by his statements and also challenged the bench to take contempt action against him. During the hearing, Venkatesan had also called the judges “criminals”, who could not hear the matter. The court observed that the letters sent by Venkatesan to the judges sitting on the bench and the Chief Justice of India scandalized the court and prejudiced and interfered with the due course of judicial proceedings. The court added that the contemptuous acts were done in the face of the court and had to be dealt with sternly. Thus, the court found him guilty of contempt and ordered accordingly. Citation: 2024 LiveLaw (Mad) 244 Case Title: High Court of Madras v PU Venkatesan Case No: Suo Motu Cont.P.No.1480 of 2024Click here to read/download the judgment

Madras High Court Sentences Man To 6 Months Imprisonment For Sending Letters To CJI Making Scandalous Remarks Against Judges

Upasana Sajeev

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