Delhi High Court issues notice to lawyer for comment that court is "slow and scared"

The Delhi High Court recently issued a criminal contempt of court notice to a lawyer who posted contemptuous comments in the chat box during the hearing of a case via video conference [Court on its own motion v Sanjeev Kumar] .One of the comments posted by Kumar read as follows:"But this court is slow to hear my cases, Jo darta hai, wo kabhi justice nhi kar payega (one who has fear will not be able to do justice)."A Division Bench of Justices Suresh Kumar Kait and Manoj Jain ordered advocate Sanjeev Kumar to show cause why contempt of court proceedings should not be initiated against him.The Bench also ordered him to remain personally present before the Court on the next date of hearing on July 29.“On receipt of notice, the contemnor is directed to file reply by way of affidavit within two weeks thereafter… Contemnor shall personally remain present before this Court on the next date of hearing,” the Court said..The contempt proceedings were initiated against Kumar by single-judge Justice Anoop Kumar Mendiratta for commenting on the court’s virtual conference hearing chat box that the Court is “slow and scared”.Justice Mendiratta observed that Kumar has the habit of making complaints and defaming the judges of the district courts who deal with and passed any adverse order against him.“This Court is of the considered opinion that reckless allegations made against several Judicial Officers of the District Courts as well as the comments placed by the petitioner in the public domain in the Chat Box have grave implications and potentiality of mischief, if the same are not curbed with a firm hand,” Justice Mendiratta had recorded in his order..The Court had in January dismissed Kumar's petition against a trial court order with a cost of ₹25,000. He then filed a review petition against the order.The comments against the Court were posted by Kumar a day before the hearing of his matter.One of the comments posted by Kumar read as follows:"But this court is slow to hear my cases, Jo darta hai, wo kabhi justice nhi kar payega (one who has fear will not be able to do justice)."