HC initiates contempt proceedings against Kanpur Bar Association officers

A seven-judge bench of the Allahabad High Court has initiated contempt proceedings against office-bearers of the Kanpur Bar Association and the Kanpur Nagar Lawyers' Association for going on an indefinite strike in the district court and "paralysing judicial work".

"You, by your conduct, have willfully and deliberately committed the contempt of court by interfering in the administration of justice calling illegal strike since March 16, 2023 and thereby paralysing the judicial work at the District Judgeship at Kanpur Nagar," the bench observed.

The bench comprised Chief Justice Pritinker Diwaker and Justices Sunita Agarwal, S P Kesarwani, Manoj Kumar Gupta, Anjani Kumar Mishra, K J Thaker and M C Tripathi.

During the court proceedings on Friday, the bench asked Kanpur Bar Association president Naresh Chandra Tripathi why the strike had not been called off, but he did not give a satisfactory response.

The court then observed, "When certain further questions were put to the president