Delhi HC orders removal of videos making allegations against judge

The Delhi High Court directed the removal of online content by Dr. Kapil Kakar alleging corruption by a judge in the Saidulajab building collapse case, following a criminal contempt plea filed by the Delhi High Court Bar Association.

The Delhi High Court on Monday directed the removal of certain videos and online content posted by Dr. Kapil Kakar, which allegedly made serious allegations against a sitting judge of the Court in connection with the recent building collapse at Saidulajab near Saket Metro Station.

The direction came while the Court was hearing a criminal contempt petition filed by the Delhi High Court Bar Association (DHCBA) against Dr. Kakar over a series of videos and social media posts relating to the May 30 building collapse in which six persons lost their lives.

Appearing for the DHCBA, its President N Hariharan submitted that the videos contained allegations of corruption and criminal misconduct against a sitting judge of the Delhi High Court. He argued that such statements amounted to an attack on the institution of the judiciary and could not be justified as fair criticism.

During the hearing, the Bench expressed concern over the growing influence of social media and the effect that such content could have on public confidence in the judicial system. The Court observed that social media platforms cannot become a means to scandalise the judiciary and orally directed that the impugned videos and related links be removed.

Details of the Contempt Petition

The contempt petition states that Dr. Kakar uploaded videos on various social media platforms after the Saidulajab building collapse. According to the petition, the videos attributed responsibility for the incident to a sitting judge of the Delhi High Court and alleged corruption and collusion in relation to judicial proceedings concerning the property.

The Delhi High Court Bar Association has contended that the statements made in the videos go beyond criticism of judicial orders and amount to criminal contempt as they seek to undermine the authority of the Court and public confidence in the administration of justice.

The petition further alleges that judicial orders were misrepresented in the videos to support claims of wrongdoing by the Court. It seeks initiation of criminal contempt proceedings against Dr. Kakar and directions to social media platforms, including Meta, Google, X and LinkedIn, to remove the content and preserve relevant records.

Consent for Contempt Proceedings

The matter has been listed for further hearing in July.

The Standing Counsel (Criminal) for the Government of NCT of Delhi and Delhi High Court, Sanjay Lao, has recently granted written consent under Section 15(1)(b) of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971, for the filing of a criminal contempt petition before the Delhi High Court against Dr. Kapil Kakar.

The consent has been granted following a request made by the Delhi High Court Bar Association in relation to a series of social media posts and videos allegedly published by Dr. Kakar concerning the collapse of a building at Saidulajab near Saket Metro Station on May 30, 2026, in which six persons lost their lives. (ANI)

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