Greeva Garg –
Published on: August 24, 2021, at 18:10 IST
The Allahabad High Court at Lucknow has initiated criminal contempt proceeding against a lawyer Asok Pande for using abusive language against judges and calling them ‘Goondas’.
Asok Pande came to the Court room for argument of a case on August 18, in a civil dress with an unbuttoned shirt reflecting combative behaviour.
The Court emphasised upon the obligation and duty of judges and lawyers to uphold the dignity of law and present Indian Judicial system as a model of rectitude.
The division bench comprising of Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi and Justice Dinesh Kumar Singh stated that, “Pande’s conduct amounted to ex facie contempt of court and he had a history of such behaviour. He created ruckus in the Court in the morning and atmosphere of the Court got completely vitiated. He used abusive language against the judges and said that the Judges were behaving like goondas.”
“He used intemperate language, indulged in indecent behaviour amounting to gross misconduct and he challenged the authority of the Court. His conduct was unbecoming a member of the legal profession,” the Court said.
Bar Council of Uttar Pradesh has been directed to take disciplinary actions against Pande, following the contempt proceedings against him.
On August 18, when the Court asked him why Pande was not in lawyer’s attire, he said that, “By way of a public interest litigation petition I have already challenged the Bar Council Rules prescribing the lawyers dress code and, therefore, would not wear lawyer’s uniform.”
In the view of Pande’s behaviour on, the Court directed the Police to take him under custody till 3 PM.
Earlier on August 16, Pande was witnessed to be indulged in similar kind of unruly behaviour during the argument of a case relating to Awadh Bar Association elections was in progress.