Bangalore advocates deny charges in showcause notice

Responding to a show cause notice for contempt of court, the Advocates Association of Bangalore asserted there was nothing "objectionable or highly disparaging" in a letter written by it to the judges on its resolution to abstain from work on November 9, on which the court had later granted a stay.

Defying the stay, the advocates had resorted to the protest during which the court was rocked by unruly incidents with Dinakaran being jostled around and two fellow judges locked in court halls.
Taking suo motu cognisance of violation of its order, a Division Bench comprising justices K Sreedhara Rao and Ravi B Malimath had on November 10 ordered issue of show cause notices to AAB president K N Puttegowda, secretary R Rajanna and treasurer T G Ravi on the resolution and letter sent by AAB to the judges.

In its reply, the AAB denied that the contents of the letter it wrote to the judges on its resolution calling for abstention from work were objectionable or highly disparaging.

"We deny that the letter by implication amounts to interference in the course of justice, amounting to a criminal contempt. We deny that the request not to damage any case denotes that the judge should adjourn the cases without transacting any judicial work," it said.