Jahanvi Agarwal
The Orissa High Court has ordered the government to take action against an advocate for his contemptuous conduct in attempting to manhandle a government counsel in an open court.
The incident took place during the hearing of a writ petition brought by the mother of a boy who died while under police custody. For her son’s tragic death, the petitioner requested compensation in the amount of Rs. 50 lakhs.
The court had ordered that concerned police officers appear in person during the hearing who were with the deceased boy at the time of his death. The police stated that the boy informed them of his uneasiness and jumped out of the moving train, resulting in his death.
However, Biplab P.B. Bahali, the counsel for the petitioner, vehemently disagreed with the police’s statement and claimed it was false and fabricated.
Bahali and Gyanaranjan Mohapatra, the additional standing counsel for the State, got into a heated argument. In a fit of rage, Bahali attempted to manhandle Mohapatra and shouted insults, claiming that Mohapatra always misbehaves with senior colleagues.
The sitting judge, Justice Sanjeeb Kumar Panigrahi, attempted to step in and requested both lawyers to calm down and maintain decorum, reminding them that they were officers of the Court.
To the utter shock of the Court, Bahali, however, retorted angrily, stating that he didn’t care about any actions the Court may take against him, even if they were reported to the Bar Council or the Chief Justice of India.
This behavior led Justice Panigrahi to observe that Bahali’s conduct demeaned the sanctity of the court and impeded its smooth functioning. According to the Court, Bahali’s act amounted to criminal contempt, which is punishable under the Contempt of Courts Act of 1971.
The matter has been directed to the appropriate authority for further action. The Court expressed shock over the incident and emphasized that advocates are expected to maintain decorum and respect towards the bench as they are officers of the court. This incident significantly affected the court proceedings.