Delhi Govt Approves Contempt Case Against CJP's Ratna Singh
- Delhi government counsel Amol Sinha granted consent for criminal contempt proceedings against Ratna Singh.
- The action follows social media posts alleging a Saket court judge acted under external instructions.
- Sinha distinguished the posts from legitimate criticism, citing concerns over judicial impartiality.
- The matter originated from an October 10 order denying relief regarding Singh's detention.
The Delhi government has granted formal consent to initiate criminal contempt proceedings against Ratna Singh, the legal affairs head of the Cockroach Janta Party, following her social media posts regarding a Saket District Court judge. Amol Sinha, the Additional Standing Counsel for the Delhi government, issued this authorization in an opinion dated November 2, 2026.
This provision allows a competent Law Officer to move the Delhi High Court to initiate criminal contempt proceedings.
Live Law and IANS LIVE reported on the government's decision to grant this consent. Separately, Live Law reported that a Delhi court recently directed Tihar Jail to ensure the safety of Aaftab Poonawala in the Shraddha Walkar murder case.
Allegations against Saket court judge Abhinav Pandey
Singh had previously petitioned the court seeking an FIR against police personnel for allegedly detaining her and preventing her from attending a protest on that same day.
Singh alleged on social media that the judge was "serving the master". She further claimed that the judge and the Delhi Police were both "following order from master".
Singh also stated in her social media posts that the judge had taken four breaks or meetings during the course of the hearing.
Legal counsel's rationale for criminal contempt
Sinha stated, "Such imputations, in my opinion, strike at the independence and impartiality of the judicial process".
Sinha distinguished these comments from legitimate criticism of a court order, noting they strike at the impartiality of the judicial process by suggesting the judge was influenced by external instructions. He noted there is a clear difference between criticizing a court order and alleging a judge is acting under external instructions.
Sinha further observed that Singh had not supported her claims with any facts.
Representations filed by advocate Kausik Chatterjee
The legal proceedings against Ratna Singh follow formal representations filed by advocate Kausik Chatterjee. These representations were submitted on October 14 and October 28. The government granted its consent for the contempt proceedings based on this complaint filed by the advocate.
Exclusion of other social media posts from contempt
Legal authorities also reviewed additional representations concerning social media posts about Special Executive Magistrate Ritu Raj and CJP members Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka. These materials were not considered criminal contempt because they were categorized as strong criticism of police and magistrate functions.
The reviewed supplementary items included an X post from October 16, a PTI report from October 19, an order from October 21, and an X post from October 22. Amol Sinha noted that the October 21 order did not contain a finding of contempt against Singh.
Context of the CJP protest and legal framework
The legal action stems from a protest held on October 10 by the Cockroach Janta Party.
This offense can be punished with a fine, imprisonment, or both.
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