The Delhi High Court has reportedly imposed a fine of Rs. 1 lakh on a man for defaming judges on social media. The court discharged the man in a contempt case after he agreed to pay the fine. The High Court has also imposed a fine of ₹ one lakh on contemnor Uday Pal Singh.
The division bench of justices Suresh Kumar Kait and Manoj Jain accepted the unconditional apology tendered by the defendant and discharged him from the contempt proceedings.
“The contemnor has tendered an unconditional apology before this court, stating that he was unable to estimate the outcome of the video, which was uploaded by him on August 24, 2022,” the bench said
The contemnor submitted that he is ready and willing to deposit an amount of ₹ one lakh for welfare purposes so as to compensate for the public time wasted in the present proceedings.
Meanwhile, The bench has directed that the contemnor shall, within two weeks, deposit an amount of ₹ one lakh, with the Registry of the Court.
Disbursement of the amount
The amount shall be disbursed in the manner of ₹ 25,000 each in favour of the Delhi High Court Legal Services Committee, Delhi Indigent & Disabled Lawyers Fund, Nirmal Chhaya for Welfare of Children and Destitute Women and the account of the Bharat Ke Veer Fund.
The case
On May 3, 2024, the Delhi High Court convicted Uday Pal Singh for contempt of court due to his derogatory remarks against judges, which he posted on social media. The case arose from a video Singh uploaded on August 24, 2022, in which he accused the judges of engaging in “illegal acts” and favoring the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) in their rulings. His comments included claims that the judges were undermining the public’s interests and acting unjustly.
The court found that Singh’s statements significantly lowered the dignity of the judiciary and constituted contempt under the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971.
Following his conviction, Singh submitted an unconditional apology, asserting that he did not intend to defame the court or its judges but rather sought to express his opinion regarding ongoing legal proceedings.
