(1.) The present criminal contempt proceeding has been registered against the Advocate General and Additional Advocate General, following the order passed by a learned Single Judge of this High Court while delivering the judgment in W.P(Cr.) No. 139 of 2021.
(2.) The writ petition was filed by Devanand Oraon for investigating the murder of his daughter Rupa Tirkey by the Central Bureau of Investigation in UD Case No. 09 of 2021. In the latter part of the judgment delivered on 1/9/2021, the writ Court narrated the incident that had happened in the Court on 13/8/2021 and formed a prima facie opinion that Mr. Rajiv Ranjan who is the Advocate General and Mr. Sachin Kumar who is the Additional Advocate General had committed criminal contempt of the Court.
(3.) On that day, the Advocate General informed the writ Court that the counsel for the writ petitioner was heard saying that "the matter was going to be allowed 200%". That incident had happened on 11/8/2021 after the Court proceedings were over for the day. On 13/8/2021 which was the next date of hearing of the writ petition, the Advocate General asked the Court not to hear the matter. This is also recorded in the order dtd. 13/8/2021 that Mr. Sachin Kumar supported the Advocate General. The writ Court took the incident seriously and asked the Advocate General to put his statement on the affidavit but he refused to do so. The writ Court therefore held that there was no need to recuse from hearing the case, on a mere statement made by him. However, the writ Court thought it proper to refer the matter to the Chief Justice for a decision on the administrative side.