Karnataka HC convicts dismissed employee of astrophysics institute for criminal contempt

Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court has convicted a dismissed Indian Institute of Astrophysics employee for criminal contempt, sentencing him to four months of simple imprisonment in each of two contempt petitions.

K Dhananjay, a resident of Srinagar, Bengaluru, made repeated allegations against members of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) and Karnataka High Court judges. 

A division bench of Justice Anu Sivaraman and Justice Vijayakumar A Patil imposed the sentence and a fine of Rs 2,000 in each case in an order passed on December 11. Dhananjay has since been sent to prison.

The first contempt petition was filed by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics in 2018; the second was registered by the high court in 2019.

The Indian Institute of Astrophysics alleged that Dhananjay repeatedly made false, reckless, and unsubstantiated allegations against members of the CAT and high court judges in multiple proceedings and representations.

In 2019, the high court registered a suo motu contempt petition, stating that Dhananjay impersonated L Harish Kumar, a union government advocate, by filing a statement of objections with a forged signature in January and February 2019. Kumar, who was unwell at the time, appeared before the court in this case only on March 31, 2019.

In the 2018 criminal contempt petition, the division bench noted that Dhananjay showed no remorse, attempted to justify his actions, and continued making unfounded statements against the judicial institution.

"His conduct can only be termed as deliberate and adamant and reveals complete apathy towards social, moral and judicial codes of conduct. We are of the clear opinion that if conduct of this nature is not punished, persons like the accused are likely to repeat such offences with impunity, which would endanger the rule of law and the judicial system as a whole,” the bench said.

In the suo motu proceedings, the bench noted the charge was proved that Dhananjay forged Kumar’s signature and filed the objection before the court.

“Having considered the evidence on record, we are of the opinion that the charge that the accused himself had forged the signature of L Harish Kumar and filed the objection before the court stands proved. The conduct of the accused clearly amounts to interference with the process of the court and answers the definition of criminal contempt. Therefore, we hold him guilty of contempt of court,” the bench said.