The Delhi High Court has sentenced YouTuber Gulshan Pahuja to 6 months of imprisonment and a fine of Rs. 2,000 for committing criminal contempt of court. A division bench comprising Justice Navin Chawla and Justice Ravinder Dudeja found Pahuja guilty of making derogatory and scandalous remarks against the judiciary both in his videos and during his hearings in the courtroom.
Who Is Gulshan Pahuja?
Gulshan Pahuja runs a YouTube channel named “Fight 4 Judicial Reforms.” The criminal contempt proceedings were triggered after 3 judicial officers flagged his videos, in which Pahuja personally attacked them and alleged that litigants could not expect justice in their courts. The channel also featured interviews with two other advocates, Shiv Narayan Sharma and Deepak Singh, who allegedly made disrespectful remarks. While Pahuja maintained that his videos were intended to improve the judicial system, the Delhi High Court observed that his actions crossed and lowering the authority of the court.
Why the Court Imposed the Maximum Sentence?
The Bench noted that Pahuja showed absolutely no moral guilt or intent to correct his remarks. Instead, he continued his contempt by doubling down during his sentencing hearing, explicitly stating, “adaalaton ki manmarzi badhti jaa rahi hai aur main koi nyay ki umeed nahi kar raha” and “manmarzi ka dusra arth taanashahi hota hai”. The court stated that handing down a harsh punishment would only embolden him and others to repeat such acts. In contrast, the two lawyers interviewed in his videos offered unconditional apologies and the court dropped their contempt charges against them.
HC Sentences 6 Months Jail Term To YouTuber
Operating under Section 19(3) of the Contempt of Courts Act, the Delhi High Court has kept the jail sentence in abeyance for 60 days. This gives Pahuja a window to appeal the ruling before the Supreme Court. If the apex court does not grant him interim relief within these 60 days, he is ordered to surrender before the Registrar General and serve the jail term of 6 months.
