Hijab Verdict: Lawyer writes to Karnataka High Court seeking contempt action for statements against judges

A lawyer has written to the Registrar General of the Karnataka High Court seeking initiation of suo motu contempt of court action against at least seven organisations for making various statements against judges and the Court in relation to the Hijab row verdict delivered earlier last week. .The letter has mentioned the names of the following organisations: (i) Karnataka Vidyarthi Sangathane (KVS); (ii) Students Islamic Organization of India, Karnataka; (iii) Student Christian Movement of India (SCMI); (iv) Dalit Vidhyarti Parishat, Karnataka; (v) COLLECTIVE, Bangalore; (vi) Girls Islamic Organization, Karnataka; (vii) Sageer Ahmed Rashadi of Imarat-E-Shariah Karnataka & other organizations, who called for Karnataka Bandh.The request was made by Advocate Amruthesh NP, who alleged that the acts of the organisations, including their call for a Karnataka Bandh to protest the verdict, were intended to scandalise the Court, lower its authority and obstruct the administration of justice. "It is very much to the shock and surprise, the judgement of this Hon’ble Court was severely criticized from several organizations who purposefully intended to scandalize, lower the status of this Hon’ble Court and directly prejudices, interferes with the due course of judicial proceedings. In this process, several organizations, called for Karnataka Bandh against the Hon’ble High Court’s verdict. Apart from this, several interviews, press releases were made through print and electronic media," the letter said..It also stated that the the petitioners in the hijab case, while addressing the press/electronic media, used vulgar words and verbally abused judges of the High Court and even made murder/threat calls against the Chief Justice and the other two judges on the Bench. These acts fall within the ambit of criminal contempt of court under section 2(c) of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971, it was stated. "It is most respectfully appealed/requested, that considering the above facts, grounds and documents kindly initiate Suo Moto contempt proceedings against the organisations, persons, in particularly against the petitioners who have criticized this Hon’ble Court’s verdict, Hon’ble judges, etc. in the interest of general public," the letter requested..The Karnataka High Court had on March 15 upheld the government order (GO) effectively empowering college development committees of government colleges in the State to prescribe uniform for colleges and thereby ban the wearing of hijab (headscarves) by Muslim girl students in college campus.A three-judge Bench of Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi and Justices Krishna S Dixit and JM Khazi had held:- Hijab is not a part of essential religious practices of Islam;- Requirement of uniform is a reasonable restriction on the fundamental right to freedom of expression under Article 19(1)(a);- The government has the power to pass the GO; no case is made out for its invalidation..The three judges who delivered the verdict were subsequently provided Y-category security after Chief Justice Awasthi received a death threat. A complaint has been registered at Bengaluru's Vidhana Soudha Police Station in relation to the same..[Hijab verdict] 3 Judges provided Y-category security after Karnataka High Court Chief Justice gets death threat