The complaint must be made within one year from the date on which the alleged contempt of court offence was committed.

How do you file a complaint for contempt?

Last updated on Aug 23, 2022

The procedure to file a contempt petition depends upon the rules of the respective High Courts and the Supreme Courts. According to the rules of the Supreme Court, a contempt petition should contain:

  • The name, description and place of residence of the complainant(s) and of the persons charged (with the alleged contempt).(( Rule 4(a)ii), Rules To Regulate Proceedings For Contempt Of Supreme Court, 1975.))
  • Nature of the contempt alleged, and facts, including the date or dates of commission of the alleged contempt.(( Rule 4(a)(ii), Rules To Regulate Proceedings For Contempt Of Supreme Court, 1975.))
  • If a petition has previously been made on the same facts, the complainant has to give the details of the petition previously made and also indicate the result of the case.(( Rule 4(a)(iii), Rules To Regulate Proceedings For Contempt Of Supreme Court, 1975.))

The petition has to be supported by an affidavit and any document (s) in possession of the complainant. The document should be either the original or a true copy.(( Rules 4 (b) & (c), Rules To Regulate Proceedings For Contempt Of Supreme Court, 1975.)) To understand who to file a complaint to, read the explainer on “Who can you complain to regarding a grievance under the law?” 

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Comments

Santosh Ray

May 26, 2023

Nice innumeration

manish pradhan

June 1, 2023

sir,
bilaspur high court has ordered to reinstate in service to postal department on 18-01-2023, certified copy submitted on 20-01-2023, the competent authority has not issued any order. no any reply received from department. orally informed that SLP is to be filed..so no order will be issued. has been more than 4.5 months. what to do to get relief. should I file contempt or wait for SLP? Experts please guide , with regards. manish pradhan

भंवरलाल कुमावत

June 25, 2023

आदरणीय सर कांता शर्मा वाइफ ऑफ पूरणमल शर्मा और मुझ प्रार्थी भंवरलाल कुमावत को न्यायालय उपखंड अधिकारी जी के द्वारा मुकदमा नंबर 150 ऑब्लिक 7 में दिनांक 15 /7/2008 को मौके और रिकॉर्ड की ता फैसला यथास्थिति रखने बाबत आदेश जारी किए थे जो आज भी प्रभावशाली हैं इसके बावजूद कांता शर्मा ने खसरा नंबर 925, 924 व अन्य नंबरों की सभी जमीनों का बेचान बंशीधर यादव को कर दिया और बंशीधर यादव ने भी सब कुछ जानने के बावजूद भी जमीनों की खरीद कर ली पुलिस में एफआईआर तो दर्ज हो गई लेकिन पुलिस वाले भी आज 76 दिन बीत जाने के बावजूद भी अपराधियों पर कार्यवाही नहीं कर रहे हैं अब आप ही बताएं मैं क्या करूं

Sikha

November 8, 2024

इस स्थिति में आपको निम्नलिखित कदम उठाने चाहिए:

1. अदालत की अवमानना का मामला दर्ज करें: कोर्ट के आदेश का उल्लंघन होने पर, कांता शर्मा और बंशीधर यादव के खिलाफ एक वकील की मदद से अदालत की अवमानना का मामला दर्ज करें।

2. स्थगन आदेश प्राप्त करें: विवादित संपत्ति की बिक्री को रोकने के लिए अदालत से स्थगन आदेश प्राप्त करें। इससे संपत्ति का कोई और हस्तांतरण नहीं हो सकेगा।

3. पुलिस की निष्क्रियता के खिलाफ शिकायत करें: अगर पुलिस ने एफआईआर दर्ज होने के बावजूद कार्रवाई नहीं की है, तो आप पुलिस अधीक्षक या उच्च पुलिस अधिकारियों के समक्ष शिकायत कर सकते हैं। आप पुलिस की निष्क्रियता के खिलाफ न्यायालय में याचिका भी दाखिल कर सकते हैं।

4. राजस्व अधिकारियों के पास शिकायत दर्ज करें: खसरा नंबर 925, 924 और अन्य संबंधित जमीनों की बिक्री के खिलाफ राजस्व अधिकारियों के पास शिकायत दर्ज करें और जमीन के रिकॉर्ड को अद्यतन करने से रोकने के लिए अनुरोध करें।

5. वकील से परामर्श लें: एक अनुभवी सिविल वकील से परामर्श करें जो आपको सही कानूनी कार्रवाई और प्रक्रिया के बारे में मार्गदर्शन कर सके।

6. अदालत के आदेश की प्रतियां संभालें: अदालत के आदेश की प्रमाणित प्रतियां और संबंधित दस्तावेज संभाल कर रखें और इन्हें अपनी शिकायतों के साथ संलग्न करें।

इन कदमों का पालन करते हुए, आप अपनी स्थिति को मजबूत बना सकते हैं और उचित कानूनी कार्रवाई के माध्यम से न्याय प्राप्त कर सकते हैं।

P. K. Bhowmick

October 27, 2023

Is there any format for contempt petition prescribed by the Supreme Court?

Amrit

November 17, 2023

Very nice

Dibakar Sahoo

February 12, 2024

Complaint petition filing in the court by the complainant and the time of filing that the necessary of examination and shape of affidavit

Alka Manral

May 21, 2024

To file an online petition follow the steps below:
1. Visit http://www.efiling.ecourts.gov.in and select your state
2. Register onto the website and find the “New Case” option on the dashboard.
3. Select the court, type of petition, etc.
4. Next, fill the Complainant/Petitioner form
5. You will get an e-Filing number that can be noted for reference.
6. Fill the Respondent form, extra details form, and extra party form.
7. Sign using the given 3 methods
8. Upload any necessary documents (50 MB limit)
9. Pay the court fee.
10. Verify applicant and advocate
11. Click “final submit” to get approval from the e filing adim
Do not forget to log out!
Affidavit format
Title – This either contains your name or specific information about your case.
Identity Statement – The following paragraph introduces yourself to the court and provides information about your identity (age, address, etc.)
Truth Statement – You will swear in this section that the information provided is correct and true to the best of your knowledge.
Fact Statement – The paragraph(s) that follow will contain your factual statement. Each paragraph should only contain one fact and the details that pertain to it.
The Final Statement of Truth – After you’ve finished stating your facts, you will swear once more that the information provided above is correct.
Sign and Notarize – The last section contains signature lines for you, witnesses, and the notary, along with the date.
For a detailed format of an Affidavit visit – https://court.mah.nic.in/courtweb/criminal/pdf/chapter7.pdf

Sikha

December 7, 2024

To file an online petition follow the steps below:
1. Visit http://www.efiling.ecourts.gov.in and select your state
2. Register onto the website and find the “New Case” option on the dashboard.
3. Select the court, type of petition, etc.
4. Next, fill the Complainant/Petitioner form
5. You will get an e-Filing number that can be noted for reference.
6. Fill the Respondent form, extra details form, and extra party form.
7. Sign using the given 3 methods
8. Upload any necessary documents (50 MB limit)
9. Pay the court fee.
10. Verify applicant and advocate
11. Click “final submit” to get approval from the e filing adim
Do not forget to log out!
Affidavit format
Title – This either contains your name or specific information about your case.
Identity Statement – The following paragraph introduces yourself to the court and provides information about your identity (age, address, etc.)
Truth Statement – You will swear in this section that the information provided is correct and true to the best of your knowledge.
Fact Statement – The paragraph(s) that follow will contain your factual statement. Each paragraph should only contain one fact and the details that pertain to it.
The Final Statement of Truth – After you’ve finished stating your facts, you will swear once more that the information provided above is correct.
Sign and Notarize – The last section contains signature lines for you, witnesses, and the notary, along with the date.
For a detailed format of an Affidavit visit – https://court.mah.nic.in/courtweb/criminal/pdf/chapter7.pdf

A.BALACHANDRAN

May 8, 2024

WHERE CAN WE FILE CONTEMPT PETITION OF MAGISTRATE COURT JUDGEMENT

Alka Manral

August 20, 2024

You can file a contempt petition against the magistrate court judgement in the High Court of the respective state. File the petition in the registry of the High Court.The court will review the petition and decide whether to issue a notice to the alleged contemnor (the person or entity accused of contempt).

Sub/Maj (Hony) Charnjit Singh, Retd

October 8, 2024

Sir,
I want to file contempt application under sec 19 AFT ACT 2007 before Armed Forces Tribunal Regional Bench Chandigarh against head of department and some officers. May I know the Performa of the application to avoid objection in registering the misc application.
Thanking you

Prem Prakash Dusad

November 23, 2024

In case the Revenue Appellate Authority does not follow and ignore the provisions of Law , directions issued by the High Court and SOP issued by the Govt. then what a poor victim may do

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Related Resources

What does the law say you can/cannot do?

While anything that lowers the authority of the courts can be considered as contempt, there are certain exceptions given in the law. These include innocent publication and distribution of matter, fair and accurate reporting of a judicial proceeding, fair criticism of judicial actions, complaint against presiding officers of subordinate courts and truth.

What is Contempt of Court?

Contempt of court is any action or writing, meant to lower the authority of a court or a Judge or to interfere with the course of justice or the lawful process of the court.

Where can contempt of court happen?

Contempt of court can happen anywhere - inside court, outside court, on social media. etc. Further, contempt proceedings can be taken up by either the Supreme Court, High Court, or Tribunals. However, the procedure to initiate proceedings will differ based on the place where the alleged contempt happens.

Who are the authorities under the law?

The Constitution of India, 1950 empowers the Supreme Court and High Courts to have the powers to punish for contempt.

Is there a right to appeal against a contempt of court decision?

The law only allows a person to appeal against the decision once. If the appeal fails, no further remedy is present under the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971.  However, the Constitution of India allows an appeal against any judgment of any court, including the High Court. This is done through a unique form of a petition, known as the ‘Special Leave Petition’.

What are the offences and punishments under this law ?

The punishment for civil and criminal contempt is the same. When one is held guilty of contempt, they have the option to apologize to the court and save themselves from any other punishments. However, such an apology should be genuine and not merely a ruse to save oneself from punishment.