The Allahabad High Court has initiated criminal contempt proceedings against Krishna Kumar Pandey for allegedly circulating a defamatory WhatsApp message accusing a judicial officer of accepting bribes and manipulating order sheets in ongoing cases. A Division Bench comprising Justices J.J. Munir and Pramod Kumar Srivastava found sufficient grounds to proceed and officially framed charges against Pandey. The Court directed that he be provided with a copy of the charge and relevant documents, and ordered his personal appearance on October 9, 2025.

Pandey argued that the contempt case could not continue without the Advocate General’s prior consent and claimed the matter should have been handled through an internal judicial mechanism rather than formal court proceedings. The Bench dismissed these arguments, emphasizing that the High Court possesses inherent authority to take suo motu cognizance of criminal contempt. It further observed that no “in-house” procedure exists for dealing with allegations spread on social media against members of the subordinate judiciary.

The proceedings stemmed from a reference made in 2023 by the Additional District Judge of Fast Track Court-I in Basti, which led to the registration of a criminal contempt case in 2024. The judicial officer reported that Pandey had circulated the WhatsApp message in a group comprising local lawyers, and that it had quickly gone viral, tarnishing the court’s image and undermining public confidence in the judiciary.

Although the High Court Legal Services Committee offered Pandey legal representation through senior advocates, he refused assistance, asserting that he was capable of defending himself. The Court noted that Pandey was not a practicing lawyer but nonetheless had access to WhatsApp groups meant for members of the Bar.

After examining the evidence, the Court concluded that the message prima facie scandalized and discredited the judicial office, thereby constituting criminal contempt under Section 12 read with Section 2(c) of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971. Pandey entered a plea of not guilty, and the matter is scheduled for further hearing on the framed charge.

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