New Delhi, Feb 6: The Supreme Court of India on Friday, February 6, rejected a petition seeking to overturn a March 2019 verdict by a coordinate bench that found advocate Mathews J Nedumpara guilty of contempt of court. The apex court deemed the plea “not maintainable,” effectively shutting down the challenge.
During proceedings, a bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi directly questioned Nedumpara, who represented himself, on the legal basis for his petition. “Under which provision of law can we entertain a writ petition challenging an order of the coordinate bench?” Chief Justice Kant inquired, pressing the advocate to clarify the maintainability of his writ petition.
Nedumpara contended that it was the judiciary’s responsibility to rectify any injustice. However, the bench remained firm, stating, “We will have to dismiss it only on the ground of being not maintainable. Once it is not maintainable, it is an embargo for us to go into the merits.”
The bench also probed Nedumpara about filing a review petition against the 2019 conviction. The advocate claimed to have filed one, but alleged the record was “missing from this court.” This assertion drew a sharp rebuke from the Chief Justice, who retorted, “Don’t make scandalous allegations that record is missing. Did you make any complaint to the CJI that the record is missing?”
Ultimately, the Supreme Court dismissed the petition, concluding that Nedumpara failed to demonstrate how his writ petition was legally maintainable before the court.
The original contempt case dates back to March 12, 2019, when the top court convicted Nedumpara. He was handed a three-month prison sentence for contempt of court.
However, the sentence was conditionally suspended after Nedumpara tendered an unconditional apology. The apex court also imposed a one-year ban on him from practicing before it. The suspension of his jail term was contingent on his adherence to an undertaking that he would refrain from attempting to intimidate or browbeat judges of both the Supreme Court and the Bombay High Court in the future.
The contempt proceedings against Nedumpara arose in March 2019 during the hearing of a petition filed by an organization, which he was representing as counsel.
