Former IIA Employee Sentenced to Four Months’ Jail in Two Criminal Contempt Cases: Karnataka High Court

The Karnataka High Court has held a former employee of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics guilty of criminal contempt in two separate proceedings and imposed four months’ imprisonment in each case.

The contempt actions arose from disputes linked to his termination from the Institute. In one case, the Court acted on a complaint by the IIA alleging that the contemnor made repeated scandalous and baseless allegations against judges and advocates.

In the second, the Court took suo motu cognisance after he filed a forged pleading, falsely claiming it was submitted on behalf of the Central government.

The Court found that the contemnor showed no remorse and concluded that his actions constituted aggravated contempt, posing a serious threat to the authority of the judiciary and the rule of law.