Allahabad HC sentences lawyer to 6 months in jail for unbuttoned shirt
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Lucknow: The Allahabad High Court has sentenced lawyer Ashok Pande to six months in jail for contempt of court over a 2021 incident where he appeared without proper attire—a lawyer's robe—and with his shirt unbuttoned.
The division bench of Justices Vivek Chaudhary and B.R. Singh stated on Thursday that "exemplary punishment is warranted" due to the seriousness of the charges, Pande's history of misconduct, and his refusal to engage with the proceedings.
In addition to the jail term, the court imposed a fine of ₹2,000, with an extra one-month imprisonment in case of non-payment. Pande has four weeks to surrender before the Chief Judicial Magistrate in Lucknow.
The bench also issued a show cause notice asking why Pande should not be barred from practising in the Allahabad High Court and its Lucknow bench, giving him until May 1 to respond.
The suo motu contempt case stemmed from Pande’s court appearance on August 18, 2021, during which he reportedly dressed improperly and allegedly insulted the judges by calling them "goondas" when challenged. Despite multiple opportunities, Pande did not respond to the charges. The court further noted his prior history of contempt incidents, including a two-year ban from the high court premises in 2017.
(inputs from PTI)
