Allahabad High Court moots disciplinary and contempt action against lawyers who vandalised Justice Ajay Bhanot’s courtroom

The Allahabad High Court on Wednesday said it will recommend disciplinary and contempt proceedings against lawyers who disrupted its proceedings by raising slogans, hours after a group of lawyers allegedly vandalised the courtroom of Justice Ajay Bhanot.

Lawyers opposed Justice Bhanot when he entered his courtroom on Wednesday, with some raising slogans. A group of lawyers then allegedly vandalised tables and chairs, hurling chairs and toppling shelves. LawChakra reported that furniture was allegedly flung towards the dais.

The incident came a day after the newly elected office-bearers of the High Court Bar Association wrote to Chief Justice Arun Bhansali, through the Registrar General, seeking action over the judge’s conduct in court on October 27. A report said the association had also threatened to boycott Justice Bhanot’s court over the alleged ill-treatment.

According to the association’s letter, the dispute began when an advocate asked a superintendent of police sitting in the row behind the additional government advocate to move to the row behind, saying it was not his seat. An additional government advocate allegedly intervened and rebuked the advocate, saying he would complain to the judge. When Justice Bhanot entered, he was told about the incident, after which the association alleged that he castigated the advocate, pointed a finger at him and ordered that he be sent to jail. When the advocate sought forgiveness, the judge allegedly directed him to apologise to the police officer, during which another advocate intervened. The association alleged that Justice Bhanot also mocked senior advocate V P Srivastava, saying the incident had adversely affected the dignity of the legal fraternity. It described the alleged conduct as contemptuous and urged the Chief Justice to take appropriate action. These are the Bar Association’s allegations, and the judge’s response was not reported.

Justice Arun Kumar Singh Deshwal, who was hearing a bail matter titled Devendra Kumar v State of UP, noticed the sloganeering. He was informed that lawyers in the corridor were protesting against the alleged ill-treatment of a lawyer by another judge. Justice Deshwal said the conduct amounted to interference in court proceedings, noting that poor litigants come to the High Court seeking redress and that advocates with a problem with one court cannot be permitted to disturb others. He called it intimidating and wholly unjustified, and held the conduct of some advocates to be contemptuous.

He directed the Registrar (Protocol) to identify the advocates involved in shouting and sloganeering through CCTV footage of the camera installed outside Court No. 66 and submit a report by November 19, the next date of listing. After identification, the court said the matter may be referred to the Bar Council of UP for disciplinary proceedings, as well as for contempt proceedings.

with inputs from PTI and Bar and Bench