A WhatsApp message has brought serious legal heat on a man in Uttar Pradesh after the Allahabad High Court framed charges against him for criminal contempt. His alleged offence? Accusing a judge of taking bribes and tampering with court records—claims that spread rapidly through a group of local lawyers.
A Division Bench comprising Justices JJ Munir and Pramod Kumar Srivastava ruled that there was enough ground to proceed against Krishna Kumar Pandey, who had posted the message in a WhatsApp group of advocates from Basti district. The Court directed that the charge sheet be served to Pandey, requiring his personal appearance on October 9.
Pandey had tried to resist the proceedings, arguing that prior consent from the Advocate General was necessary to initiate contempt action. The judges, however, clarified that the Court holds independent authority to take cognizance of criminal contempt without such permission.
When Pandey further contended that his allegations against the judicial officer should be examined through an internal inquiry mechanism, the Court dismissed the claim outright. “There is absolutely no mechanism of an in-house procedure for inquiring complaints against Judges of the Subordinate Courts,” the Bench observed, explaining that any such complaints are handled administratively or through vigilance channels before formal disciplinary action is taken, if warranted.
The contempt proceedings originated from a reference made by the concerned judicial officer in 2023, who alleged that Pandey’s message was not only defamatory but also aimed at discrediting the judiciary itself. The viral post prompted the High Court to register a case in 2024.
Earlier, the Court had reached out to various bar associations in Basti to ascertain how Pandey—who later admitted he was not a lawyer—had gained entry into advocate WhatsApp groups. The bar bodies denied any involvement.
Pandey declined legal aid offered by the High Court Legal Services Committee, asserting that he would defend himself. Following a review of the evidence, the Court concluded that there was enough material to formally charge him with contempt under Sections 2(c) and 12 of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971.
The order recounted the charge, accusing Pandey of publishing a WhatsApp post that “scandalises and lowers the authority of the Court” and brings the judiciary into disrepute. Pandey pleaded not guilty and opted to face trial.
