Nagpur: The Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court, has recorded serious findings of fraud on the court and issued contempt notice against certain respondents for allegedly relying on a forged document during proceedings in Writ Petition No. 7236 of 2024.
The order was passed on April 9, 2026, in the matter titled Pushpa W/o Sanjay Gupta vs. State of Maharashtra & Others by a division bench comprising Justice Anil Pansare and Justice Nivedita Mehta.
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Apr 09,2026 - Time 10.30Hrs
Findings of fraud and contempt proceedings
In its order, the court observed that a forged document had been relied upon during the proceedings, amounting to a serious attempt to mislead the court. Taking a stern view of the matter, the bench issued contempt notices to the concerned respondents and directed that the proceedings would continue as suo motu contempt proceedings.
The court also took serious note of alleged advocate misconduct, observing that an advocate had appeared without proper authority and had misled the court. In view of the gravity of the issue, the bench referred the matter to the Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa for appropriate action.
Relief granted to petitioner
On the merits of the case, the court recorded the statement made by the Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT) that unauthorised structures standing on the petitioner’s leased plot would be removed within a stipulated time frame.
Accepting the undertaking, the bench directed removal of the unauthorised constructions, thereby granting substantive relief to the petitioner and addressing her grievance regarding encroachment on the leased property.
The judges said, “The matter assumes serious concern when the advocates who are the officers of the Court are involved and when they actively participate in the ill-motivated litigations of the unscrupulous litigants, and assist them in misusing and abusing the process of law to achieve their ulterior purposes.
“People repose immense faith in Judiciary, and the Bar being an integral part of the justice delivery system, has been assigned a very crucial role for preserving the independence of justice and the very democratic set up of the country. The legal profession is perceived to be essentially a service oriented, noble profession and the lawyers are perceived to be very responsible officers of the court and an important adjunct of the administration of justice. In the process of overall depletion and erosion of ethical values and degradation of the professional ethics, the instances of professional misconduct are also on rise. There is a great sanctity attached to the proceedings conducted in the court. Every Advocate putting his signatures on the Vakalatnamas and on the documents to be filed in the Courts, and every Advocate appearing for a party in the courts, particularly in the Supreme Court, the highest court of the country is presumed to have filed the proceedings and put his/her appearance with all sense of responsibility and seriousness. No professional much less legal professional, is immuned from being prosecuted for his/her criminal misdeeds.”
The petitioner was represented by Adv Anil Mardikar, assisted by Adv Prasad Gupta.
A. B. Badar, Assistant Government Pleader, appeared for the State of Maharashtra (Respondent Nos. 1 and 4). S. M. Puranik represented Respondent No. 2, Kiran Israni appeared holding for R. R. Chhabra for Respondent No. 3, while S. D. Chande appeared for Respondent No. 7.
The matter will now proceed further before the High Court in connection with the contempt proceedings initiated against the respondents.
