Delhi High Court Sentences Nitin Bansal to Jail for Criminal Contempt

Nitin Bansal's use of a real air gun to intimidate a court-appointed Local Commissioner leads to a one-month imprisonment and fine.

In a significant judgment, the Delhi High Court has sentenced Nitin Bansal to one month of simple imprisonment along with a fine of Rs. 2,000 for criminal contempt. The Division Bench, comprising Justices Prathiba M. Singh and Rajneesh Kumar Gupta, found Bansal guilty of obstructing the administration of justice by threatening a Local Commissioner with a real air gun during a judicial proceeding.

The contempt proceedings were initiated following an incident on July 13, 2024, during the execution of a local commission in a case involving the disposal of 30,000 tons of industrial coal. The court had appointed Ms. Nandini Bali as the Local Commissioner to assess compliance with an interim order restraining Bansal’s father, Mr. Ashok Bansal, from dealing with the coal in question. 

During the commission's execution, Nitin Bansal allegedly placed a real air gun on the table, attempting to intimidate the Local Commissioner, an act that the court viewed as a deliberate obstruction to the administration of justice. Despite Bansal’s claims that the gun was merely a toy used to scare animals, the court verified it as a real air gun, dismissing his defense as a false and misleading plea.

The judgment emphasized the importance of respecting court-appointed officials, reiterating that any attempt to interfere with their duties constitutes a serious contempt. The court also noted that the apology tendered by Bansal was insincere and lacked bona fide, thus warranting the imposed punishment under Section 12 of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971.

The court directed immediate custody of the contemnor and ordered the judgment to be uploaded promptly. This decision sends a clear message about the judiciary's intolerance towards any actions undermining its authority and the sanctity of its proceedings.

Bottom Line:

Contempt of Court - Acts of the contemnor threatening and obstructing a Local Commissioner appointed by the Court with the use of a real air gun amount to criminal contempt under Section 2(c)(iii) of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971.

Statutory provision(s): Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 Section 2(c)(iii), Section 12

Court on its own Motion v. Nitin Bansal, (Delhi)(DB) : Law Finder Doc Id # 2800634