Bal Thackrey vs Harish Pimpalkhute & Ors

The Supreme Court addressed the initiation of contempt proceedings under Section 15 of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971, distinguishing between suo motu actions and those initiated by parties. The Court held that the directions from P.N. Duda's case regarding the procedure for contempt petitions must be adhered to, emphasizing that such petitions should be placed before the Chief Justice for consideration. The Court expressed doubts about the correctness of the Duda case and referred the matter to a larger bench for reconsideration, thereby impacting the procedural sanctity of contempt actions.