Supreme Court Directs Registry to Restrict New Filings Pending Final Decision
The Supreme Court, on March 18, has granted bail to Upendra Nath Dalai, who was facing contempt proceedings for failure to pay a fine imposed by the Court and for making disrespectful remarks against the Court. Additionally, the Court has decided to initiate criminal contempt charges against him.
In January of this year, Justice CT Ravikumar and Justice Rajesh Bindal had issued a non-bailable warrant against Dalai when he failed to appear in court. He was subsequently taken into custody, and his detention was extended multiple times.
The genesis of this issue lies in the dismissal of Dalai’s PIL, which sought to declare Satsang founder Sree Sree Thakur Anukulchandra as a “parmatma.” The Supreme Court dismissed this PIL while imposing a fine of Rs.1 lakh. However, Dalai did not pay the imposed fine, leading to the initiation of suo motu contempt proceedings by the Court last year.
During previous proceedings, Dalai had requested access to his mobile phone, which was held in custody at a police station. The Court denied this request but directed the jail authorities to provide Dalai with all necessary documents to prepare his defense. Despite this, Dalai only submitted a reply in court on the last hearing date without following proper procedural steps.
Rather than tendering an apology, Dalai’s reply contained further disrespectful remarks. Even though the Court offered him legal assistance, Dalai insisted on representing himself. Considering the gravity of the situation, the Court appointed Senior Advocate PN Mishra as an Amicus Curiae to assist in the proceedings.
Yesterday, the Court added additional charges of criminal contempt against Dalai for making disrespectful statements in his email replies dated September 5, 2023, and March 13, 2024, which scandalized and undermined the authority of the Court.
While granting bail to Dalai, the Court expressed dissatisfaction with his response to the notices and queries but deemed it necessary for the sake of justice to release him on bail, subject to conditions set by the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Balasore, Odisha. Dalai is required to appear before the CJM by March 21, 2024. Additionally, he must attend the next hearing before the Supreme Court on April 2, 2024, at 2:00 p.m.
Acknowledging the serious nature of the proceedings, the Court instructed the Registry not to accept any new filings or appeals from Dalai, except those related to the current case, until a final decision is reached.
The case, titled “In Re: Contempt Against Upendra Nath Dalai | SMC (C) No(s).3/2023 (and connected matter),” will continue to be heard on April 2 at 2:00 PM.
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