Jharkhand High Court issues contempt of court notice against Advocate General Rajeev Ranjan

The Jharkhand High Court on Wednesday, initiated contempt proceedings against Advocate General (AG) Rajiv Ranjan and Additional Advocate General (AAG) Sachin Kumar for seeking recusal of Justice Sanjay Kumar Dwivedi after the AG claimed to have overheard an opposing counsel saying the case will be “allowed 200%”..The request for recusal was raised on August 13 while the Court was hearing a petition filed by Devanand Oraon, father of deceased woman police officer Rupa Tirkey, who was found hanging at her official police quarters.The judge had then taken exception to the request by AG and proceeded to record the same in his order."Today, when the matter was taken up, at the outset Mr. Rajiv Ranjan, learned Advocate General submits that after end of the proceeding on August 11, 2021, learned counsel for the petitioner was saying that 200% the matter is going to be allowed. He submits that let this matter go out of list of this Court," the order said..Jharkhand Advocate General claims he overheard petitioner's counsel saying case will be "allowed 200%"; seeks recusal of judge .In fact, when the Court had asked the Advocate General to file an affidavit to this effect which he refused and stated that his oral submissions would be sufficient. The Court had then categorically stated that merely on a submission of the Advocate General, it is not required to recuse from the case asserting that nothing should come in the way of dispensation of justice or discharge of duty as a judge and judicial decision-making..The judge had, nevertheless, proceeded to place the matter before the Chief Justice for an administrative decision on listing.However, the Chief Justice again placed the matter before the same judge. Later, an application also came to be filed before the Court by the counsel for Oraon seeking initiation of criminal contempt of court proceedings against the AG and AAG. The Court said that the application for contempt was not in proper format and not as per High Court of Jharkhand Rules, 2001.It, therefore, refused to take contempt action based on the said application and rejected the same. The Court, however, noted that the conduct of the two law officers amounted to bullying and threatening the court. "Both have sought and bullied the Court and behaved in the manner that the Court felt that they are trying to threaten it. This has been done in open Court in the presence of senior and junior counsels of the bar," the judgment said.The AG and AAG have thrashed this Court in such words and humiliation cannot be described in words, the Court added.The Court said that its majesty would be at risk, if such conduct is not checked. "It has the potential of carrying the message across board that the courts can be manhandled to the desired ends of a litigator," the judgment said. The Court also said that despite repeated requests by it, the AG and AAG have not filed their responses or tendered any apology. "The Court has been humiliated and with heavy heart, it is said that this is humiliation of not an individual Judge, but the entire institution, if it is not dealt with iron hands it may see progress and will jeopardise the administration of justice," Justice Dwivedi said in his order. He, therefore, proceeded to initiate suo motu contempt of court proceedings against the two law officers. [Read Judgment]