Lawyer representing Disha Salian's father faces Bombay High Court's contempt action for remarks on judges

Mumbai: In an unprecedented development, a five-member bench of the Bombay High Court initiated suo motu contempt proceedings against lawyer Nilesh Ojha for his "scandalous and defamatory" remarks against a sitting judge during a press briefing on Disha Salian death case.

Ojha is representing Satish Salian, the father of Disha Salian, who has claimed that his daughter was gangraped and murdered.

Ojha has levelled certain allegations against Justice Revati Mohite-Dere.

On Tuesday, a full bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe, Justice AS Chandurkar, Justices MS Sonak, Ravindra Ghughe and AS Gadkari passed the order and ordered immediate takedown of a video which contains the allegations.

"The statements prima facie constitute criminal contempt. We direct the registry to issue notice to Ojha," the court said.

The next hearing is scheduled on April 29.

The petition on the Disha Salian case was listed before a bench of Justice Mohite-Dere and Justice Dr Neela Gokhale on 2 April. However, a day before the matter's hearing, Ojha claimed before the media that Justice Mohite-Dere was 'disqualified' from hearing the case.

“The statements made with regard to recusal were made deliberately to scandalise the judge and this court. These statements defame the judge and also the court,” the five-member bench noted.