HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA Vs. BASRUR RAJEEV SHETTY

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This Court registered a suo-moto contempt petition against Sri Basrur Rajeev Shetty, S/o M. Shivarama Shetty, aged about 69 years holding that the petitioner has virtually made unsubstantiated allegations against the Court and the affidavit averments virtually reiterate the allegations that were made yesterday in the course of hearing and amounts to lowering the dignity and standing of the Court not only in the eyes of the litigants and the public who are participating in the virtual court proceedings, but also members who are present before the Court and that neither the affidavit nor the petitioner has been able to answer the query pointed out by this Court raised on the first date of hearing, that is, maintainability of the petition more so this court held that the affidavit does not disclose any remorse for the unsubstantiated allegations leveled against the Court and by the affidavit, the petitioner has only added fuel to fire by attempting to tarnish the image of the Registry also. Therefore, the suo-moto contempt petition was initiated.

(2.) Though accused filed an affidavit on 5/1/2022 before this Court, the said affidavit was strongly opposed by the learned Additional SPP and contended that the virtually the affidavit is nothing but substantiating the allegations made as referred in the order of the learned Single Judge. At that stage, Sri. Sidharth Baburao, learned counsel for the accused sought to withdraw the counter affidavit dtd. 5/1/2022 and sought time to file the better affidavit before this Court with unconditional apology. When the matter was posted on 30/6/2022, learned counsel for the accused sought time to file affidavit and this Court has directed the accused to present before the Court on the next date of hearing.

(3.) Today, the accused-Sri. Basrur Rajeev Shetty, aged about 69 years is present before the Court. When query was made by this Court with regard to the allegations made by him as referred by the learned Single Judge, he tendered unconditional apology as stated in the affidavit and assured the Court that he would not repeat the same in future.