Bombay High Court Issues Contempt Notice to Maharashtra Law Secretary Over Open-Court Outburst

In an interim application in a public interest litigation, the Bench found Mr. Ghumare's affidavit of 4 August 2026 unsatisfactory and asked the Additional Government Pleader which averments in the additional affidavit of 27 August 2026 stated that 179 new posts for Fast Track Courts were created (para 1). When he could not answer, Kamal Khata J. asked Mr. Ghumare, who was present, who had drafted the affidavit and whether it contained those averments (para 2). Instead, he responded in "an aggressive, high-pitched tone (bordering to shouting)", blaming the High Court administration before a packed courtroom (para 3). The Advocate General declined to defend the conduct but sought leave to accept his apology (para 8).

The Bench held that the outburst, deliberately displayed in open court, not only scandalised the Court but undermined and attempted to lower its authority, constituting contempt ex facie under Article 215 read with Section 2(c) of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 (para 4). Mr. Ghumare is a senior judicial officer, now Secretary and Senior Legal Advisor in the Law and Judiciary Department, and his conduct was "manifestly unbecoming of any judicial officer and simply outrageous" (para 5). Decorum becomes imperative when the person is himself a judicial officer (para 6). A judicial officer cannot behave so in open court and then expect a pardon through an apology; permitting it would convey "a deeply troubling message" to the public, a view the Court said is supported by Re: Vinay Chandra Mishra (para 10). On the Advocate General's suggestion, notice was issued under Chapter XXXIV, Rule 9(1) of the Bombay High Court Appellate Side Rules, 1960 (paras 11-13).