"Over My Dead Body": Kerala High Court Says To CPIM Leader For Facebook Post To "Pressurise" Court When Judgment Is Reserved

The Kerala High Court today said that it will initiate suo moto criminal contempt against former MLA and leader of CPIM, R. Rajesh, for a Facebook post against a Judge of the High Court, who had heard and reserved a Writ Petition filed by him.

The Bench of Justice Dinesh Kumar Singh said that the post was an attempt to put pressure on him and that it besmirches his reputation. Justice Singh said that pressure can be put on the Court only over his dead body.

"It is not reputation which is built over a day. He wants to put pressure because his judgment is reserved! Have you seen that Facebook post? Please go and see. It is widely circulated everywhere. I am not deterred by anyone. I am not one of those who can be put under pressure. I have not become a Judge to be cowed down and to be pressurised. Tell him that, only over my dead body, he can put pressure", Justice Singh told the Counsel for R. Rajesh.

The Court was considering a Writ Petition challenging the suspension of the Registrar of the Kerala University. R. Rajesh is a member of the Syndicate of the said University. The remarks about the Facebook post were made during the hearing of the said Writ Petition, when the Counsel for Rajesh in some other case was also present in Court. The Writ Petition by the Registrar was withdrawn by him, stating that his suspension has been reserved by the Syndicate.

"A person who is a litigant before me, he has written a Facebook post. He considers himself above the law", Justice Singh said.

"Your client is a litigant before the Court and his Writ Petition has been reserved for Judgment. He has the guts to write a Facebook post against me. He can't get away with this. I am framing suo moto charges for criminal contempt", Justice Singh added.

Justice Singh also said that the social media post "besmirches the reputation of the Judge, lowering the prestige of the institution".

"When he is a litigant, when his judgment has been reserved, he wants to influence the Judge! He wants to put pressure on me. Tell him that over my grave only, he can put pressure on me. Height of everything in this Court", Justice Singh said.

Justice Singh continued, "How can he write when Judgment is reserved? He is a litigant, his judgment is reserved and he has written a stinking Facebook post, besmirching my reputation. I am putting you on notice. I am taking suo moto cognizance of the post and I am framing charges. By evening the order will be uploaded. When Judgment is reserved, somebody writing a Facebook post alleging malice against a Judge. "

The CPIM leader and former MLA of Mavelikara Assembly Constituency had published a post on his Facebook account, making allegations of saffronisation of the judiciary.