The Allahabad High Court has framed charges under the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 against one Krishna Kumar Pandey for allegedly circulating a WhatsApp message accusing a judicial officer of taking bribes and fabricating order sheets in certain cases.
A Division Bench comprising Justice JJ Munir and Justice Pramod Kumar Srivastava held that a prima facie case of criminal contempt had been established against Pandey, who posted the message in a WhatsApp group of advocates in District Basti.
The Court ordered that Pandey be served with a copy of the charges along with all related documents and directed his personal appearance on October 9, 2025, at 2:00 p.m.
Pandey, who is not an advocate, had challenged the suo motu proceedings, arguing that the Advocate General’s prior consent was necessary for initiating contempt proceedings. The Court rejected this contention, observing that it has inherent power to take cognizance of criminal contempt without such permission.
He further contended that an in-house mechanism existed to inquire into complaints against subordinate judicial officers. Dismissing this claim, the Bench clarified that there is no such mechanism under law.
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“There is absolutely no mechanism of an in-house procedure for inquiring complaints against Judges of the Subordinate Courts,” the Court observed. “Judges of the District Courts are under the disciplinary control of the High Court, and any such complaints are dealt with administratively or through vigilance inquiries before formal proceedings are drawn.”
The proceedings against Pandey stem from a reference made by the judicial officer concerned, who alleged that the viral WhatsApp message was a calculated attempt to scandalize the judiciary and undermine public confidence in the court.
Following the reference made in 2023, contempt proceedings were formally registered in 2024. The Court had issued notices to local bar associations. The purpose was to determine how Pandey had gained access to the WhatsApp groups of lawyers. The associations denied any involvement.
Pandey admitted he was not a lawyer. He declined legal assistance offered by the High Court Legal Services Committee. Instead, he chose to defend himself.
After reviewing the material, the Court found sufficient grounds to frame charges. It stated that Pandey’s WhatsApp post constituted an act of scandalizing the court. It also lowered the court’s authority under Section 12 read with Section 2(c) of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971.
Pandey pleaded not guilty and opted to face trial.
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