BARADAKANTA MISHRA vs MR. JUSTICE GATIKRUSHNA MISHRA

The Supreme Court examined whether the High Court's decision to reject a motion for contempt under Section 19(1) of the Contempt of Court Act, 1971, constituted a decision in the exercise of its jurisdiction to punish for contempt. The Court held that the High Court's actions in this case did not amount to contempt, as the appellant's statements were made in the context of administrative functions, not judicial ones. Consequently, the Court quashed the contempt proceedings initiated against the appellant, reinforcing the principle that criticism of judicial officers in their administrative capacity does not necessarily equate to contempt of court.