Trouble for Gujarat BJP leader over ‘attack’ on judiciary

THE GUJARAT High Court Advocates’ Association (GHCAA) has resolved to seek contempt proceedings against Surat BJP office-bearer Mukesh Gujarati, accusing him of mounting a “systematically planned and predetermined attack” on the judiciary and urging the Chief Justice of India to initiate contempt action in the matter.

The demand was made in a resolution unanimously passed at an extraordinary general meeting of the GHCAA on August 17, after members drew the Association’s attention to Facebook and Instagram posts allegedly made by Gujarati on August 16. The minutes, dated August 18, record the Association as describing the posts as “not only derogatory” but as seriously undermining the dignity of the institution and constituting a “direct attack on judiciary”.

The controversy follows the HC's August 14 proceedings in which a Division Bench of Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal and Justice D N Ray orally directed the Gujarat government to transfer a senior IPS-rank officer serving as Deputy Commissioner of Police in Surat, who was allegedly seen in videos beating and publicly humiliating accused persons – proceedings stemmed from a July 14 representation by advocate Utkarsh Dave seeking judicial scrutiny of videos allegedly showing Surat DCP Rajdeepsinh Nakum, accompanied by police personnel, parading handcuffed accused persons and assaulting them.