New Delhi, Aug 28 (PTI) The Delhi High Court has issued a show-cause notice to a social media user, asking why contempt action should not be initiated against him for his “prima facie contemptuous” YouTube videos targeting a sitting judge over the collapse of a multi-storey building in Saidulajab here in May.
A bench of justices Prathiba M Singh and Vikas Mahajan also refused to recall a June 8 order directing blocking of all his social media accounts.
“In view of the content of the impugned videos which are prima facie contemptuous, this court deems it appropriate to take cognizance u/s 15 of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971. Accordingly, a formal show cause notice under Rule 10 of the Contempt of Courts (Delhi High Court) Rules, 2025 be issued by the registry upon respondent No. 1 as to why contempt action be not initiated against him,” said the bench in its order.
The Delhi High Court Bar Association (DHCBA) earlier filed a petition seeking criminal contempt action against Dr Kapil Kakar for his “scandalous” videos holding the sitting high court judge responsible for the mishap which claimed six lives.
The DHCBA alleged that Kakar uploaded videos on social media platforms in which he made contemptuous allegations against the judge, who allegedly earlier heard a case regarding the illegal construction in the building.
The high court had on June 8 directed the social media platforms to remove the offending links and block Kakar’s accounts and handles.
Kakar then filed an application seeking recall of the direction to block his accounts, stating that it was a “wide relief”.
In the order passed on August 20, the bench observed that after the June 8 order, Kakar published another video, in which he “categorically threatened” that new social media accounts would be created to upload more videos.
It added that Kakar uploaded the video after the DHCBA’s petition was served to him, and the video showed that he was aware of the filing and even apprehended that his accounts would be blocked.
The court therefore held that the order to block the social media accounts of the petitioner was “fully justified” and did not deserve to be recalled.
The video was earlier directed to be removed by the high court.
On June 8, the high court had said the allegations in the videos in question were “absolutely scandalous, contumacious”, and amounted to a direct interference in the justice delivery system.
It had asserted that fair criticism of judicial orders and institutions was permissible in law, but baseless allegations attributing improper motives to judges were not legitimate criticism. PTI ADS ZMN
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