SUO MOTU Vs. DIPESH MADANLAL PARATE

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 defines "criminal contempt" contained in Section 2(c) as under :

(2.) Whether the physical attack or assault on the Judicial Officer by the respondent -contemnor, who is a practising lawyer and working as the Assistant Public Prosecutor, in the premises of the District Court at Nagpur, during working hours, constitutes a "criminal contempt", as defined under Section 2(c), reproduced above, is the question involved in the present case.

(3.) The incident occurred on 26122018 and the offences punishable under Sections 332, 353 and 506 of the Indian Penal Code were registered against the contemnor vide Crime No.538 of 2018 in the Sadar Police Station, Nagpur. Upon getting information of such incident on that date itself, this Court issued notice to the contemnor as to why an action for contempt of Court should not be initiated against him.