AMARAVATI, India, May 28 -- Andhra Pradesh High Court issued the following order on April 27:

I.A.No.1 of 2026 is filed seeking to condone the delay of 191 days in filing the present contempt case.

2. The contempt case is filed against the respondents for willful disobedience of the orders dated 10.01.2024 passed by this Court in W.P.No.22777 of 2022.

3. Heard the learned counsel for the petitioner(s).

4. Learned counsel for the petitioner(s) submits that I.A.No.1 of 2026 is filed seeking to condone the delay of 191 days in filing contempt case and the contempt case is filed alleging that orders of this Court dated 10.01.2024 are not complied with as directed by this Court.

5. The present contempt case has been filed after expiry of one year from the date of alleged contempt.

6. As per Section 20 of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 the contempt is started within a period of one year from the date on which the contempt alleged to have been committed and the contempt should be filed within a period of one year from the date when the contemptuous act said to have been committed by the respondents. Admittedly, this Contempt has been filed after expiry of one year from the date of alleged contempt.

7. For better understanding, Section 20 of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 provides as under: "No Court shall initiate any proceedings of contempt, either on its own motion or otherwise, after the expiry of a period of one year from the date on which the contempt is alleged to have been committed".

8. In S.Tirupathi Rao v. M.Lingamaiah1 the Hon'ble Apex Court has held that the statute refers to a specific time limit of one year from the date of alleged contempt for proceedings to be initiated. It was further held that the action should be brought within a year, and not beyond, irrespective of when the proceedings to punish for contempt are actually initiated by the High Court. The Hon'ble Apex Court further observed and held that the express negative phraseology used in Section 20 of the Contempt Courts Act, as a legislative injunction, places a fetter on the Court's power to initiate proceedings for contempt unless the petition/application is presented within the time-frame stipulated therein.

*Rest of the document can be viewed at: (https://hcservices.ecourts.gov.in/ecourtindiaHC/cases/display_pdf.php?filename=I1mmm2bl4r4EREhYK63Kv8LFRrJvAmen0QtZT7kRy9%2FHrv7fU4MlCqsfO7%2B9%2BRD9&caseno=CC/756/2026&cCode=1&cino=APHC010047702026&state_code=2&appFlag=)

Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.