Prayagraj, Nov 2 (PTI) The Allahabad High Court has recommended prosecution of criminal contempt proceedings according to law as well as registration of FIR against a group of lawyers who allegedly vandalised and thrashed the additional government advocate on October 28.
Passing an order of 29 pages, a bench comprising Justice Ajay Bhanot and Justice Divesh Chandra Samant said, "In wake of the preceding discussion, prima facie commission of criminal offences of instigating violence, conspiring to commit violence and perpetrating violence and vandalism in court and preventing the government officials from discharging their duties are disclosed against the aforesaid lawyers."
Justice Bhanot, who dictated the order, gave the title of contempt as "In Re: Commission of Criminal Contempt and Criminal Offences by Lawyers in Court No. 49 on October 28, 2026".
The bench said, "Let the matter be placed before Hon'ble The Chief Justice for transmitting the same to the appropriate bench for prosecution of criminal contempt proceedings against the concerned lawyers as per law."
The court requested the chief justice to take appropriate action according to law and for consideration of issuance of direction to the registrar general of the Allahabad High Court to ensure that FIR is registered against the concerned lawyers.
The bench said the registrar general may also be directed to register an FIR against the persons who put out false posts on social media pertaining to the aforesaid incidents in the high court and to ensure that false posts on social media platforms pertaining to the incident are blocked and deleted.
In its order dated October 29, the court said, "In the morning of October 28, when both of us were preparing to move to the Court from the chamber of (Justice Ajay Bhanot), a call was received by the Private Secretary from the bench that a group of lawyers gathered in the courtroom were in a restive mood and were shouting slogans. After receiving the call, we proceeded to the Court."
The court said, "When the court sat for its daily business, Shri V.P. Srivastava, learned Senior Advocate, referenced a letter dated October 27, 2026 issued by the newly elected office bearers of the Allahabad High Court Bar Association regarding some incident in our Court on October 27, 2026 in which he was allegedly humiliated. Shri Srivastava stated before the court that no such incident had occurred in this court with him and that he was never humiliated by this court."
Srivastava also said that court proceedings were conducted in an amicable manner so long as the two judges were present, the court said.
"After the aforesaid statement was made, some other counsels proceeded to make mentions regarding their cases. At that point in time, other lawyers present in the court and even outside the court started shouting so loudly that we found it impossible to conduct the court and proceed with the daily business, the court said.
It said the aggressive and unruly group of lawyers were looking to provoke an untoward incident in the court. The menacing gestures and the deafening uproar raised by the lawyers made it difficult to believe that a constitutional court was facing learned members of the Bar and not confronting a riotous mob hell-bent on violence. The court had no option but to rise, it said.
"After we returned to our chambers, Shri Paritosh Kumar Malviya, learned A.G.A-I came running into our chambers and earnestly pleaded to save his life. Shri Malviya, appeared shaken to the roots," the court said.
It said Malviya had a swollen face and was walking with great difficulty. Thereafter, he narrated to them that a group of lawyers savagely assaulted him inside the court room, it said.
"He also informed us that the lawyers assaulting him had also threatened him for defending the state in matters listed before the court and that he had to pay the price for the same," added the court.
The court said, "He survived only because of the intervention of Shri Sandeep Tiwari, learned AGA, and some lawyers asked him to rush to the Judge's chamber if he wanted to save his life."
It said Malviya also informed the court that lawyers also physically assaulted other AGAs and staff of the court, and vandalised the courtroom. They abused the judges, it added.
"We were also informed by Malviya that chairs of the court room had been removed in advance before the court sat," the bench said.
The court also called for report in the matter by registrar general and said that the report as well as statements have established that a number of lawyers hurled abuses at the court, shouted aggressive slogans, savagely assaulted the state law officers and the court staff, and indulged in wanton acts of violence and vandalism in the courtroom on October 28.
The court further said that the genesis of the incidents is the letter dated October 27, issued by Dr C P Upadhyay, senior advocate, president-elect, and Santosh Kumar Mishra, advocate, general secretary-elect, of the Allahabad High Court Bar Association.
About the letter, the court said, "The aforesaid recitals are rather misleading. This Court had provided for seating of an official or any other person who was called to assist the Court.
"The intendment of the aforesaid seating arrangement is to facilitate proper assistance to the Court. A chair is provided to the said official/ person and the same is placed at an appropriate place/ vantage point to enable the said official/ person to follow the court proceedings closely, understand the nature of assistance required by the Court, and render the same effectively," the court said.
(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)