The Delhi High Court has sentenced YouTuber Gulshan Pahuja, known for his channel “Fight 4 Judicial Reforms,” to six months of simple imprisonment in two criminal contempt cases. Pahuja made derogatory and scandalous remarks against the judiciary and judicial officers, leading to the court’s decision. Justices Navin Chawla and Ravinder Dudeja imposed a fine of Rs 2,000 in each case, highlighting Pahuja’s lack of remorse and aggravation of contempt during the proceedings.
The court, however, suspended the sentence for 60 days to allow Pahuja to appeal the judgment before the Supreme Court. Despite being given a chance to present his views on the punishment, Pahuja not only questioned the conviction but also made further scandalous comments about the judicial system during the oral arguments. The bench emphasized that Pahuja’s behavior showed a lack of repentance and merit no leniency.
Pahuja’s plea to reconsider the conviction judgment was rejected by the Delhi High Court, stating that it couldn’t review its earlier decision. The court affirmed Pahuja’s right to challenge the judgment through legal means. Advocate Harsh Prabhaka, appointed as amicus curiae, noted Pahuja’s persistent defiance of earlier directives restraining him from targeting judicial officers in his videos, indicating a lack of remorse or corrective action on his part.
The nature of Pahuja’s conduct led the court to believe that leniency could encourage similar behavior in the future. The bench deemed the case deserving of the maximum punishment to deter such actions. Consequently, Pahuja was sentenced to six months of simple imprisonment and a Rs 2,000 fine in each case, with concurrent sentences and an additional one month’s imprisonment in case of default in fine payment. The court suspended the sentence for 60 days, pending Pahuja’s appeal to the Supreme Court.
