Congress MLC gets contempt notice

The Bombay High Court issued a criminal contempt notice to Congress Member of Legislative Council (MLC), Bhai Jagtap, on Tuesday. He has been given four weeks’ time to reply.

The Bombay High Court issued a criminal contempt notice to Congress Member of Legislative Council (MLC), Bhai Jagtap, on Tuesday. He has been given four weeks’ time to reply.

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On June 22, 2009, during a meeting called by State Law and Judiciary Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, Jagtap allegedly threatened to blacken the face of the assistant charity commissioner at Ratnagiri, N.D. Khose.

He also used derogatory language against Usha Iyer, joint charity commissioner at Kolhapur. Before her posting, Iyer was the Additional Chief Judge of the Small Causes Court in Mumbai and Khose was the Civil Judge Junior Division in Buldhana district.

According to their complaint to the HC, in the meeting, Jagtap questioned them about some quasi-judicial work, although he was warned they were judicial officers. The matter pertained to registration of Mandangarh Taluka Vikas Mandal as a public trust in Ratnagiri district.

Jagtap, who runs a trust with the same name, objected to the application. A division bench of Justice B.H. Marlapalle and Justice Anoop Mohta found his conduct amounted to interference in the administration of justice and a case was made for issuing him a notice under the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971.