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The Kerala High Court has sentenced a man to three days of simple imprisonment for making Facebook posts accusing judges of being influenced by the Sangh Parivar and thereby defaming the court. The man, identified as PK Suresh Kumar from Ernakulam district, was also fined Rs 2,000 after the court held that he had committed criminal contempt.
According to the court, Suresh Kumar had posted multiple statements on Facebook, one of which alleged that the judges comprising the Devaswom Bench of the court were functioning under the influence of the Sangh Parivar and other external agencies, and that judgments were being delivered to appease such factions.
The Division Bench held that Suresh Kumar had made “serious and scurrilous allegations” against the judges, claiming that they had delivered judicial orders with improper motives and for personal advancement. The court stated that such remarks “strike at the very foundation of the judicial institution” and therefore warranted punishment for gross contempt.
He went on to claim that the senior judge of the Bench was motivated by a desire to curry favour with certain institutions outside the Collegium system of the Hon’ble Supreme Court in the hope of elevation. The respondent also levelled serious allegations that lawyers affiliated with the Sangh Parivar were regularly visiting the chambers of the learned judge and exerting undue influence in Devaswom-related matters by offering inducements.
Although Suresh Kumar later filed a plea seeking suspension of the sentence, the court declined the request and directed the Registrar General to issue a warrant for his detention. The court also noted that during the proceedings, the accused submitted an affidavit spanning nearly 30 pages, wherein he did not deny authorship of the Facebook posts but instead justified every statement. He attempted to explain the circumstances that allegedly compelled him to write them, despite having earlier tendered an unconditional apology in previous contempt proceedings.
However, during oral arguments and while tendering evidence, Suresh Kumar contradicted his earlier stance by denying authorship of the posts and claiming they had been wrongly attributed to him. The court rejected this defence and confirmed the sentence, stating that his actions amounted to criminal contempt.
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Published On:
Jul 18, 2025