Indian Lawyer sentenced to 6 months in jail after appearing in court with an ‘unbuttoned shirt’.
In a bizarre incident, the Allahabad High Court has sentenced local lawyer Ashok Pande to six months in jail and imposed a fine of 2,000 Indian rupees in a 2021 contempt of court case, citing his inappropriate courtroom appearance and repeated disregard for legal decorum.
The decision was announced by a division bench comprising Justices Vivek Chaudhary and BR Singh, who stated that “exemplary punishment is warranted” in light of the seriousness of the charges, Pande’s conduct, and his refusal to participate in the court proceedings.
Violation of dress code
Pande was found guilty of contempt for appearing before the court without his lawyer’s robe and with his shirt unbuttoned on August 18, 2021.
According to the court, he also misbehaved with the judges during the hearing, allegedly calling them “goondas” when asked to leave due to his improper attire.
According to Indian media, despite being given several chances, Pande failed to respond to the contempt proceedings.
In addition to the six-month jail term, the court ruled that failure to pay the Rs 2,000 fine would result in an additional month of imprisonment.
Surrender in four weeks
The court has granted Pande four weeks to surrender before the Chief Judicial Magistrate in Lucknow.
Furthermore, a show cause notice has been issued asking why he should not be permanently barred from practising in the Allahabad High Court and its Lucknow bench.
He has until May 1 to submit a response.
The court also took note of Pande’s past record, including a two-year ban from entering the high court premises in 2017, reinforcing the need for strict disciplinary action in the current case.
