Four sent to custody after hurling abuses at HC and a slipper at SC judge

Shortly before noon today,Courtroom 3 in the Supreme Court witnessed a bizarre chain of events when a woman litigant threw a slipper directed at Justice Arijit Pasayat....

Shortly before noon today,Courtroom 3 in the Supreme Court witnessed a bizarre chain of events when a woman litigant threw a slipper directed at Justice Arijit Pasayat and was joined by four others in an offensive diatribe against the bench before whom their matter was being heard.

This prompted an angry Justice Pasayat to order a three-month prison term for four women and a man from the Bombay-based controversial Boss School of Music. Later,that order was modified,the man was let off,the women were sent to custody and the case referred to a larger bench.

When the Boss School matter came up before the bench of Justice Pasayat and Justice Asok Kumar Ganguly,a group of its members,including Pavitra Murali,stood up and abused Justice Pasayat and the judges of the Bombay High Court in full view of advocates,including Solicitor General G E Vahanvati and an Additional Solicitor General. Their strange application sought arrest of over a dozen judges of the Bombay High Court and even sought action against Justice Pasayat.

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Seconds later,Murali,accompanied by her colleagues Leila David,Annet Kotian,Sarita Parikh and Kishore Parikh,picked up her slipper and hurled it at Justice Pasayat who escaped unhurt. (Incidentally,Justice Pasayat has been twice attacked in this fashion. Last year,a disgruntled litigant tried to throw a shoe at him.) Visibly disturbed at this contemptuous behaviour,Justice Pasayat sentenced all of them to three months imprisonment.

Later in the evening at a seminar,Justice Pasayat clarified that the women were not convicted but sent to custody. He said there was a difference of opinion as to whether a separate charge should be framed against them for the fresh incident and the matter would now be heard by a larger bench.

In his order,Justice Pasayat noted that members of the Boss School used offensive and abusive language and demanded that judges be jailed for initiating contempt against them. And that judges should be punished for not protecting their so-called fundamental rights.

Last September,the apex court had issued contempt notices against them for ignoring repeated warnings and continuing with their objectionable diatribe against judges of the Bombay High Court,the Supreme Court and the Chief Justice of India.

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The music school at Vasai near Mumbai has been in the news for repeated allegations and complaints against its founder Glenn Fernandes that he was forcing girls into prostitution. After the school was closed down in April 2006 following police action,the members have been embroiled in litigation first in the Bombay HC and later in the apex court. The members sought action against more than 100 people,who were allegedly responsible for illegal and anti-constitutional witchhunting against the school. They have repeatedly accused judges of having committed genocide by not allowing them space to air grievances.

Said P H Parekh,senior advocate and president of SC Bar Association: The court has always been more patient and understanding with petitioners who appear in person but something like this will never be accepted. Nobody should think they can get away with such acts.