The Allahabad High Court has sentenced lawyer Ashok Pande to six months in prison and imposed a ₹2,000 fine in connection with a 2021 contempt case, marking a rare instance of stern disciplinary action against a practicing advocate. A division bench comprising Justice Vivek Chaudhary and Justice B.R. Singh delivered the judgment on Thursday, stating that Pande’s repeated defiance of court decorum and his past record warranted an “exemplary punishment.”
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The contempt proceedings began suo motu after Pande appeared before the court on August 18, 2021, without wearing a lawyer’s robe and with his shirt visibly unbuttoned. When questioned over his inappropriate appearance, Pande allegedly misbehaved and reportedly referred to the judges as “goondas” before being asked to leave the courtroom. Despite being granted multiple opportunities to respond to the charges, Pande failed to participate in the judicial process or offer any defense.
In addition to the six-month jail term, the court ordered a ₹2,000 fine, with a provision for an additional one-month imprisonment if the fine is not paid. Pande has been given four weeks to surrender before the Chief Judicial Magistrate in Lucknow. Taking further disciplinary measures, the court has also issued a show cause notice to Pande, asking why he should not be barred from legal practice at the Allahabad High Court and its Lucknow bench. He has until May 1 to respond.
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The bench referred to Pande’s history of contempt, including a 2017 order that barred him from entering the high court premises for two years. The judgment emphasized that such conduct not only undermines the dignity of the court but also erodes public faith in the legal system.