The Bombay High Court has taken suo motu notice of the alleged assault of a sessions court judge by a lawyer in the court premises in Nagpur and issued a notice against the lawyer, PTI reported on Thursday. Vacation judge RK Deshpande of the High Court’s Nagpur bench said such incidents are a “threat to independence of the judiciary”.
On Wednesday, senior civil judge KR Deshpande claimed that assistant public prosecutor DM Parate slapped him outside a lift around noon. The lawyer was apparently upset over a decision taken by the judge in a case. Parate had tried to run away after the incident, but was caught by the police. An investigation is under way in the case, police said.
The High Court issued a notice to the assistant public prosecutor and sought a response from him within six week as to why action for criminal contempt of court should be initiated against him. “It is a threat to independence of the judiciary” Deshpande said. “The rule of law is being undermined. Such outrageous conduct needs no tolerance.”
The judge said the personal security of a judge was under threat. “It causes or tends to cause obstruction or interference in the administration of justice, as it is the result of adjudication by the judge which has gone against Dinesh Parate,” he added.
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