Litigants File Forged Documents In HC | Allahabad High Court Initiates Suo Moto Criminal Contempt Proceedings, Orders Their Arrest

The Allahabad High Court on Wednesday initiated suo moto criminal contempt proceedings against two litigants for filing forged documents before the HC. The case in brief On July 14, 2022, the Court stayed the proceedings with regard to a charge sheet filed under various sections of the Indian Penal Code against the petitioners after they submitted before the Court that they are willing to refund the money contributed by opposite party No.2 in pursuance of the partnership deed entered into between the parties. Against this backdrop, noting that despite the court's specific directions, the petitioners did not present themselves before the Court, the Court, on Wednesday concluded that the petitioners committed contempt of the Court by remaining absent and further, criminal contempt was also committed by them as they forged document before this Court "They have further committed criminal contempt of this Court as they have submitted a forged document before this Court on affidavit and, thus, they have tried to interfere with the course of justice and pollute the stream of justice by bringing on record a forged and fabricated document on affidavit to mislead this Court and obtain a favourable order. They have further committed criminal contempt of this court by falsely stating on affidavit that the two bank accounts of the petitioners mentioned in the application and referred to above have sufficient amount to honour the directions of this Court to bring a bank draft of Rs.35,00,000/- favouring respondent No.2 but for not defreezing the accounts by the Bank, they could not bring the Bank draft of Rs.35,00,000/- favouring respondent No.2," the Court remarked In view thereof, the Court took a Suo Moto action against the petitioners and ordered that separate criminal contempt proceedings be drawn against the petitioners by registering a Suo Moto criminal contempt against them.