Karnataka HC Sentences Advocate To 15 Days’ Jail For ‘Match Fixing’ Remark [Read Order]

Bengaluru: The High Court of Karnataka has convicted an advocate for criminal contempt and sentenced him to fifteen days' simple imprisonment, holding that he had scandalised the proceedings of the Trial Court by alleging that its judgment was passed by “match fixing”, and had compounded the contempt by later alleging, on oath, that the very order initiating the proceedings against him was false, fabricated and forged.

A Division Bench of Justice D K Singh and Justice H. Shanthi Bhushan was hearing a suo motu criminal contempt petition registered by the Registrar General of the High Court, pursuant to an order dated 15.09.2025 passed by a Coordinate Bench in Criminal Appeal No. 1054/2018. That order recorded that the appellant's counsel, despite being asked to file a written synopsis and being granted leniency, had failed to argue the appeal on merits and, when queried by the Court, had alleged that the Trial Court had passed its judgment by “match fixing”. Despite being cautioned that such derogatory and baseless statements amounted to contempt, counsel had persisted, leading the Coordinate Bench to refer the matter to the Chief Justice for action.

When the matter was first listed on 10.09.2026, the accused had indicated that he would file an affidavit tendering an unconditional apology. However, when the matter was taken up on the date of the order, he stated that he wished to contest the contempt proceedings and was unwilling to apologise. The Court noted that in his statement of objections, the accused had gone further and alleged, in paragraph 13, that the very order dated 15.09.2025 forming the basis of the contempt proceedings was false, fabricated and forged, created only to falsely implicate him.

On this basis, the Court framed two charges against the accused: first, that his utterance during the hearing of the appeal that the Trial Court's judgment was passed by “match fixing” amounted to scandalising the Court and lowering its authority; and second, that his sworn allegation that the order dated 15.09.2025 was false, fabricated and forged itself amounted to a fresh act of criminal contempt. When put to his defence, the accused claimed that the “match fixing” remark was directed at the Investigating Officer and the Public Prosecutor rather than the Trial Court, a stand at variance with his earlier statement of objections, and described his allegation against the order dated 15.09.2025 as a typographical error, without tendering any apology, unconditional or otherwise.

Finding both charges proved, and having regard to the accused's conduct and demeanour before the Court, the Bench sentenced him to simple imprisonment for fifteen days, directing that he be taken into custody forthwith to serve the sentence. The Court further directed the Registrar (Judicial) to issue a conviction warrant under Rule 16 of the High Court of Karnataka (Contempt of Court Proceedings) Rules, 1981, and directed the Registry to communicate the order to the Bar Council for appropriate proceedings as to whether the accused was fit to continue in the profession.

Case Title: High Court of Karnataka vs. H.P. Sabjan, Criminal Contempt Petition No. 2 of 2026

[Read Order]