GUWAHATI – The president of the Gauhati High Court Bar Association, Kamal Nayan Choudhury, has called for the recusal of Justice N. Unni Krishnan Nair from a contempt case, citing the judge’s engagement with a related social media post. The request was made during proceedings before a division bench comprising Chief Justice Vijay Bishnoi and Justice Nair, who are hearing contempt petitions filed by Advocate General Devajit Saikia against several lawyers.
Choudhury, himself a respondent in the case, argued that Justice Nair’s action of liking a Facebook post titled “Criminal contempt cases filed against a section of lawyers of the bar association” raises questions about impartiality. “A judge adjudicating this matter should not engage with such content online,” Choudhury submitted, urging the bench to consider the potential bias implied by the interaction.
The contempt petitions stem from alleged derogatory remarks made by Choudhury and advocates Pallavi Talukdar and Anil Kumar Bhattacharya against Justice Suman Shyam and the judiciary, amid protests over a proposed relocation of the Gauhati High Court to North Guwahati. The Advocate General accused the lawyers of undermining the court’s dignity, prompting the legal action.
After hearing the recusal plea, Chief Justice Bishnoi stated that the bench would deliberate on the matter alongside the broader contempt case. The court has reserved its verdict following a preliminary hearing earlier this week, leaving the legal community awaiting a decision that could set a precedent for judicial conduct in the digital age.
