M.R. PARASHAR AND ORS. vs DR. FAROOQ ABDULLAH AND ORS.

The Supreme Court dismissed a contempt petition against the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, holding that the requisite proof for criminal contempt under the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 was not established. The Court emphasized that allegations of criminal contempt require a high standard of proof and that the right to free speech allows for bona fide criticism of the judiciary, provided it does not cross into unfounded allegations of corruption. The Court found that without clear evidence, it could not determine guilt, thus upholding the principle of free expression while protecting the judiciary from baseless attacks.