The court observed that the posts were aimed at undermining public confidence in the judiciary and scandalising the institution.
Published Jul 17, 2025 | 7:39 AM ⚊ Updated Jul 17, 2025 | 7:39 AM
Kerala High Court. (iStock)
In a rare move, the Kerala High Court on Wednesday, 16 July, sentenced a man to three days of simple imprisonment for publishing contemptuous remarks against sitting judges on social media. The Division Bench comprising Justices Raja Vijayaraghavan and Jobin Sebastian found PK Sureshkumar, a native of Alangad in Ernakulam, guilty of criminal contempt of court.
The contempt proceedings were initiated suo motu after Sureshkumar made a series of Facebook posts targeting Justice Devan Ramachandran and the Devaswom Bench. The court observed that the posts were aimed at undermining public confidence in the judiciary and scandalising the institution.
The comments, it said, alleged that judgments were rendered at the behest of politically aligned advocates and accused judges of acting with dishonest motives. Significantly, Sureshkumar had previously faced contempt proceedings for similar posts.
Though those were dropped after he tendered an unconditional apology, the court noted he resumed his offensive behaviour on social media shortly thereafter. The bench ruled that while fair and temperate criticism is acceptable, distorted and malicious content cannot be tolerated.
“The shoulders of the court are broad enough to shrug off certain comments… but vilification of the institution cannot be countenanced,” the court stated.
Though Sureshkumar pleaded for leniency, citing family responsibilities, the court rejected his request to suspend the sentence, citing his repeated misconduct. He was also fined ₹2,000.
At the same time, the Kochi Cyber Police had also filed a criminal case against PK Sureshkumar on a complaint filed by High Court advocate Kulathur Jaisingh in the incident of insulting Justice Devan Ramachandran on Facebook. The case is under consideration by the Kakkanad Magistrate’s Court.
