Delhi HC Issues Contempt Notice Over Videos on Said-ul-ajab Building Collapse
The Delhi High Court has issued a show-cause notice to a social media user, asking why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against him over YouTube videos containing allegedly contemptuous remarks against a sitting judge in connection with a fatal building collapse in Said-ul-ajab.
A Bench comprising Justices Prathiba M. Singh and Vikas Mahajan also declined to recall its earlier June 8 order that directed social media platforms to block the accounts and handles of Kapil Kakar.
The proceedings arose from a petition filed by the Delhi High Court Bar Association (DHCBA), which sought criminal contempt action against Kakar. The association submitted that Kakar uploaded several videos on social media platforms holding a sitting high court judge responsible for the multi-storey building collapse in May, which claimed six lives. The DHCBA noted that the judge had previously dealt with a case concerning illegal construction in the building.
On June 8, the court directed social media platforms to remove the offending links and block Kakar's accounts and handles. During that hearing, the court observed that the allegations made in the videos were "absolutely scandalous" and "contumacious", amounting to direct interference with the administration of justice.
Kakar subsequently moved an application seeking the recall of the blocking directive, contending that the order directing the blocking of his accounts amounted to a "wide relief".
However, in its August 20 order, the two-judge Bench noted that following the June 8 direction, Kakar had uploaded another video stating that new social media accounts would be created to post further videos.
The court observed that the video was uploaded after the DHCBA petition had been served on him, indicating that he was aware of the proceedings and anticipated that his existing accounts could be blocked. Under these circumstances, the Bench held that its earlier direction to block Kakar's social media accounts was "fully justified" and did not warrant any recall.
