Ensure Tirodkar is present for next hearing: HC to Mumbai CP

TIRODKAR HAS BEEN ACCUSED OF MAKING SCANDALOUS COMMENTS ABOUT HC JUDGES IN HIS FACEBOOK POSTS

A five-judge bench of the Bombay high court on Tuesday directed the Mumbai commissioner of police to ensure the presence of former journalist Ketan Tirodkar in the next hearing for contempt proceedings.

Tirodkar has been accused of making scandalous comments about HC judges in his Facebook posts. The larger bench also directed the CP to file a report of compliance of the order passed by a division bench on February 22, ordering him to remove the Facebook posts.

Suo-motu criminal contempt proceedings have been initiated against Tirodkar on the basis of a sitting HC judge’s letter along with a printout of the posts.

On February 17, a division bench of Justices Abhay Oka a contempt notice to the former journalist saying, “The writing contains scandalous allegations against this court on a ban imposed on the litigants carrying cell phones to court. The writing also makes scandalous and defamatory allegations against sitting judges,” said the bench.

The Facebook posts also contained defamatory comments about two sitting women HC judges.

“The allegations are of extremely serious nature ” said made in the writing scandalise the authority of the court,” it said, adding, “Such allegations will also interfere with the administration of justice.”

On February 22, the HC registry pointed out to the division bench some more posts by Tirodkar that had outrageous allegations against some sitting and two retired HC judges. So the court had directed the CP to ensure that these posts are removed.

On Tuesday, when the bench took up the matter for hearing, assistant public prosecutor Jayesh Yagnik pleaded ignorance about the previous orders and that’s why the bench directed the CP to file a report showing compliance with the February 22 order.

The five-judge bench has posted the contempt proceedings for further hearing on June