RAJAN NARAYAN Vs. N R

JUDGEMENT

(1.) These proceedings for contempt were initiated suo motu by this Court in view of a letter published in the newspaper "Herald", issue of 23rd April, 1986, under the caption "Justice---Goan Style", for the contents of the said letter together with the caption which was printed in very bold letters, were likely and apparently meant to lower the authority of this Court.

(2.) A notice to show cause why contempt proceedings should not be taken up against them was issued by this Court to the contemners and in reply, the contemner Prof. Miss Anne Menezes appeared in person, being also represented by Counsel, and the original contemners Nos. 1 and 2 through Counsel only. All the said contemners filed their unqualified apologies in writing, and in addition, the contemner Prof. Menezes personally tendered her apologies. The learned Counsel appearing for the said three contemners further stated that unqualified apologies would be published on behalf of the contemners on the front page of the aforesaid newspaper. The contemner Rajan Narayans Counsel added that the publication of the letter was ordered not by him, but by the Sub-Editor. In view of this last statement made on behalf of the contemner Rajan Narayan, we abstained from deciding the case at that stage and ordered a notice to be issued to the Sub-Editor of the said newspaper to show cause why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against them.

(3.) Today, all the contemners are personally present in Court, apart from being duly represented by their Counsel. They personally tendered unqualified apologies to this Court, their Counsel having produced the issues of the newspaper Herald with the publication of the apologies on the front page. These issues are ordered to be kept on record.