Man Sentenced to 3 Days’ Jail for Contempt of Court

Swift summary

• The Kerala High Court sentenced P.K. Suresh Kumar from Ernakulam to three days of simple imprisonment and imposed a ₹2,000 fine for “contemptuous and intemperate” social media posts against High Court judges.
• A Division Bench of Justice Raja vijayaraghavan and Justice Jobin Sebastian ruled that the comments targeted the court’s Devaswom Bench, alleging the judges where influenced by Sangh Parivar and external agencies.
• Evidence considered included Facebook posts and witness statements, which led to the finding that Suresh Kumar committed criminal contempt of court.
• Earlier contempt proceedings against him on similar charges were dropped after he apologized, but this time contempt actions were pursued.

Indian Opinion Analysis

This ruling highlights growing judicial intolerance toward defamatory remarks made online, especially those targeting institutions such as courts. By emphasizing evidence in its verdict-Facebook posts and witness testimonies-the Kerala High Court reiterates its commitment to protecting judicial independence from perceived external attacks or baseless allegations. The imposition of both imprisonment and monetary penalties serves as an explicit deterrent against misuse of social media platforms for spreading unsubstantiated accusations.

While precedence suggests leniency when apologies are tendered sincerely (as in previous instances involving Suresh Kumar), repeat offenses appear to carry unavoidable consequences signaling stricter standards moving forward in digital-era accountability mechanisms within Indian democracy.

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