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Sheo Charan v. Nawal And Others

Allahabad High Court
May 23, 1997
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Structured Summary of the Opinion (R.A. Sharma, J.)

Factual and Procedural Background

The appellant initiated a contempt petition under the Contempt of Courts Act (the Act). A learned single Judge dismissed that contempt petition and discharged the notices issued to the opposite parties. The single Judge's order (reproduced in the opinion) noted that the original writ petition had consolidation authorities as parties, while non-applicant Nos. 1 to 10 were impleaded subsequently. The order dated 25-11-1992 had restrained dispossession of the petitioner until further order, and the single Judge concluded that the restraint was intended primarily to bind consolidation authorities. The single Judge declined to take action against persons who were not parties at the time the order was made, dismissed the contempt application and discharged notices. Aggrieved, the appellant filed the present appeal.

Legal Issues Presented

  1. Whether an appeal against the single Judge's order dismissing a contempt petition and discharging notices is maintainable under Section 19 of the Contempt of Courts Act.
  2. Whether an appeal from such a single Judge's decision is maintainable under Rule 5 of Chapter VIII of the High Court Rules (i.e., whether the ordinary right of appeal under the Rules/Letters Patent survives where a statute provides for appeals).
  3. Whether the appellant would be left remediless if the appeal under the High Court Rules is held not maintainable.

Arguments of the Parties

Appellant's Arguments

  • During the contempt proceedings, the appellant (petitioner) contended that even persons who were not parties when the order was passed were expected to honour the order and could be held guilty of contempt.
  • In this appeal, the appellant's counsel submitted that the present appeal is not filed under Section 19 of the Act but under Rule 5 of Chapter VIII of the High Court Rules; on that basis the appellant maintained that the appeal is maintainable.

Respondents' / Court's Counter-arguments (as presented in the opinion)

  • The learned Judge (and respondents in argument) took the view that the Contempt of Courts Act provides the statutory scheme for contempt proceedings and for appeals under Section 19; Section 19 affords a right of appeal only from orders imposing punishment for contempt, and does not provide for appeals against orders dismissing contempt petitions.
  • It was submitted on behalf of the respondents that the appellant would not be remediless because the appellant can seek relief before the Supreme Court under Article 136 of the Constitution.
  • The respondents (and the Court) also contended that earlier Supreme Court decisions relied upon by the appellant did not decide the specific maintainability issue raised here and hence were not authority for the proposition that an appeal under the Rules/Letters Patent lies against an order dismissing a contempt petition.

Table of Precedents Cited

Precedent Rule or Principle Cited For Application by the Court
State of Maharashtra v. Mahboob S. Allibhoy ((1996) 4 SCC 411 : AIR 1996 SC 2131) Interpreted S.19 of the Contempt of Courts Act: appeal under S.19 lies only from an order/decision imposing punishment for contempt. The Court relied on this to hold that since the single Judge dismissed the contempt petition and discharged notices (i.e., did not impose punishment), an appeal under S.19 is not maintainable.
National Telephone Co. Ltd. v. Post Master General (1913 AC 546 (HL)) Where a statute refers matters to an established Court "without more", the ordinary incidents of that Court's procedure, including the general right of appeal, are impliedly available. The Court cited this as the general rule permitting appeals under court rules where statute is silent, but distinguished it because the present statute (the Act) itself prescribes procedure and appeal avenues.
N.S Thread Co. v. James Chadwick and Brothers (AIR 1953 SC 357) Accepted the general rule that referral to a Court without further provision brings with it ordinary incidents such as right of appeal. Used to support the general proposition but not to override the specific appeal scheme contained in the Act.
Collector, Varanasi v. Gauri Shanker Misra (AIR 1968 SC 384) Followed the general rule regarding implied incidents of judicial procedure where jurisdiction is conferred without more. Referenced as subsequent authority for the general principle; Court held it does not apply where the conferring statute itself prescribes a specific appeal procedure.
Maganlal v. Jaiswal Industries ((1989) 4 SCC 344 : AIR 1989 SC 2113) Followed the rule that general incidents of Court procedure attach when jurisdiction is conferred without further provision. Referenced in the same context; Court reiterated limitation of the rule where statute itself provides procedure and appeal.
South Asia Industries (P) Ltd. v. S.B. Sarup Singh (AIR 1965 SC 1442) Explained that when a statute gives a right of appeal without limitation, the appeal is regulated by the High Court practice unless the statute has taken away the ordinary right of appeal expressly or by necessary implication. Applied to show that if a statute prescribes and limits appeals, the ordinary Letters Patent/right under the Rules may be excluded; used to support conclusion that Contempt Act's appeal scheme displaces the general rule.
Upadhyaya Hargovind Devshanker v. Dhirendrasinh Virbhad ??? ghji Solanki ((1988) 2 SCC 1 : AIR 1988 SC 915) Held that no Letters Patent appeal is maintainable under Representation of People Act because that Act is a self-contained code. Used as an example of a statute being a self-contained code which excludes ordinary appeals; Court relied on this principle to show the Act's appeal provision excludes appeals under Rules.
Union Of India v. Mohindra Supply Co. (AIR 1962 SC 256) One ground for rejecting Letters Patent appeal was that the statute (Arbitration Act) had a provision (sub-section (2) of S.39) barring further appeal. Applied as an example where statutory bar on further appeal removes right to appeal under Letters Patent or Rules.
Pritam Pal v. High Court of Madhya Pradesh, Jabalpur (1993 Supp (1) SCC 529 : AIR 1992 SC 904) Explained that after enactment of the Contempt of Courts Act the statute-prescribed procedure governs contempt proceedings before High Courts; S.19 creates right of appeal only against orders imposing punishment and not against orders discharging notices/dismissing petitions. Relied upon to state that where statute provides and limits appeals, appeals under the High Court Rules against orders dismissing contempt petitions are barred; used as direct supporting authority for the opinion's conclusion.
State of West Bengal v. Kartick Chandra Das ((1996) 5 SCC 342 : AIR 1996 SC 2437) Held that Section 5 of the Limitation Act applies to an appeal filed against the order of a single Judge passed in contempt jurisdiction. The Court stated that this decision did not address and decide the maintainability of appeals under Letters Patent/Rules against single Judge orders rejecting contempt petitions; therefore it did not help the appellant on the maintainability point.
State of Orissa v. Sudhansu Sekhar Misra (AIR 1968 SC 647) Affirmed the principle that a decision is authority only for what it actually decides; the ratio decidendi is what binds. Applied to reject the appellant's reliance on other decisions for propositions those decisions did not actually decide.
Ambica Quarry Works v. State of Gujarat ((1987) 1 SCC 213 : AIR 1987 SC 1073) Reiterated the principle that a decision binds only for what it decides (ratio decidendi). Used to reinforce the point that earlier cases relied upon cannot be stretched beyond their ratios to support the appellant's maintainability argument.

Court's Reasoning and Analysis

The Court proceeded in a stepwise legal analysis:

  1. Interpretation of Section 19 of the Act: The Court quoted Section 19, which provides an appeal as of right from any order or decision of the High Court "in the exercise of its jurisdiction to punish for contempt." The Court relied on State of Maharashtra v. Mahboob S. Allibhoy to interpret that S.19 permits an appeal only where the High Court's order or decision is in the nature of punishment for contempt.
  2. Application to facts: Because the single Judge dismissed the contempt petition and discharged notices (i.e., did not impose punishment), the Court held that an appeal under S.19 is not maintainable.
  3. Examination of Rule 5 of Chapter VIII (High Court Rules): The appellant argued that this appeal is maintainable under Rule 5 (a special appeal to a Bench from a judgment of a single Judge). The Court examined the general rule (National Telephone and related decisions) that where a statute refers matters to a court "without more", ordinary incidents of that court's procedure, including the right of appeal, attach.
  4. Distinguishing the general rule: The Court emphasized that the general rule applies only where jurisdiction is conferred on an established court "without more" or "with no further provision". If the statute conferring jurisdiction itself lays down procedure and provides for appeal from decisions, then the statute's appeal provision governs and the ordinary/general right of appeal is excluded.
  5. Precedential application: The Court relied on South Asia Industries and other authorities to show that when a statute makes a decision final, or constitutes a self-contained code, or expressly bars further appeal, ordinary rights of appeal (e.g., under Letters Patent or court Rules) are ousted.
  6. Specific application to the Contempt Act: The Court observed that the Contempt of Courts Act prescribes procedure (S.15 and other provisions) and S.19 specifically creates a right of appeal only against orders imposing punishment. Because the Act prescribes which orders are appealable, the legislature's intention is that appeals against other orders (such as dismissal of a contempt petition or discharge of notices) are barred.
  7. Addressing precedents relied upon by appellant: The Court examined State of West Bengal v. Kartick Chandra Das and Pritam Pal, concluding those decisions did not decide the specific question of maintainability of an appeal under the Rules against an order dismissing a contempt petition; thus they did not help the appellant on that issue. The Court reiterated the principle that decisions are authorities only for the points they actually decide.
  8. Remedilessness argument: The Court rejected the submission that the appellant would be remediless if the appeal under Rule 5 is not allowed. It observed that contempt proceedings are essentially between the Court and the alleged contemnor (not an ordinary inter-partes dispute). Further, the appellant retains a remedy to approach the Supreme Court under Article 136 of the Constitution.
  9. Conclusion: On the combined statutory interpretation, precedent and the facts (dismissal of the contempt petition without imposition of punishment), the appeal was held to be not maintainable either under S.19 or under Rule 5 of the High Court Rules.

Holding and Implications

Holding: Appeal dismissed as not maintainable.

Implications:

  • The Court held that Section 19 of the Contempt of Courts Act provides an appeal only from orders or decisions imposing punishment for contempt; therefore an order dismissing a contempt petition and discharging notices does not attract an appeal under S.19.
  • The Court held that where a statute (here, the Contempt of Courts Act) prescribes a specific appeal scheme and limits the orders against which an appeal lies, the ordinary/general right of appeal under the High Court Rules or Letters Patent is excluded as a matter of statutory construction and precedent. Accordingly, Rule 5 of Chapter VIII cannot be invoked to appeal against a single Judge's dismissal of a contempt petition in this context.
  • The appellant is not left without remedy: the opinion notes the appellant may seek relief from the Supreme Court under Article 136 of the Constitution.
  • No order as to costs was made in view of the facts and circumstances.

This summary is limited to the content expressly contained in the provided opinion and does not add or infer information beyond that text.

Show all summary ...

R.A Sharma, J.:— Appellant filed a contempt petition under the Contempt of Courts Act (hereinafter referred to as the Act), which has been dismissed and the notices issued to the opposite parties have been discharged by the learned single Judge. The order passed by the learned single Judge is reproduced below:

“Sri Yogesh Agarwal for the applicant and Sri Janardan Sahai for the opp. parties are present. This proceedings under the Contempt of Court Act has been initiated for the alleged disobedience of the order dated 25-11-1992, which reads as under:

“Issue notice.

Until further order of this Court, if the petitioner is in possession, he will not be dispossessed in pursuance of the impugned orders dated 30-1-90 and 31-7-92 passed by respondent No. 1”.

It is admitted by the learned counsel for both the parties that on the date on which this order was passed only the consolidation authorities were the parties to the writ petition and the non-applicant Nos. 1 to 10 were impleaded later on. Therefore, it is obvious that the order was intended to prevent the consolidation authorities to hand over possession of the plots in question in pursuance of the orders dated 30-11-90 and 31-7-92.

It is urged by the learned counsel for the petitioner that even those persons who were not arrayed as parties are expected to honour the order and they can be held guilty of contempt of court.

It is not necessary to examine this contention. In a fit case, the court may proceed against the persons who were not parties.

In view of the facts and circumstances of the present case, this court is not inclined to take action against the persons who were not arrayed as parties at the time when the order was passed.

In this view of the matter, the application for contempt is dismissed and the notices issued to the opposite parties are discharged.”

Being aggrieved, the appellant has filed this appeal.

2. The Act has made provision for appeal in Section 19, which is reproduced below:

“19. Appeals.— (1) An appeal shall lie as of right from any order or decision of High Court in the exercise of its jurisdiction to punish for contempt—

(a) Where the order or decision is, that of a single Judge, to a Bench of not less than two Judges of the Court;

(b) where the order or decision is that of a Bench, to the Supreme Court;

Provided that where the order or decision is that of the Court of the Judicial Commissioner in any Union territory, such appeal shall lie tq the Supreme Court.

(2) Pending any appeal, the appellate Court may order that—

(a) the execution of the punishment or order appealed against be suspended;

(b) if the appellant is in confinement, he be released on bail; and

(c) the appeal be heard notwithstanding that the appellant has not purged his contempt.

(3) Where any person aggrieved by any order against which an appeal may be filed satisfies the High Court that he intends to prefer an appeal, the High Court may also exercise all or any of the powers conferred by sub-section (2).

(4) An appeal under sub-sec. (1) shall be filed—

(a) in the case of an appeal to a Bench of the High Court within thirty days;

(b) in the case of an appeal to the Supreme Court, within sixty days,

from the date of the order appealed against.”

3. Under S. 19 appeall lies against the decision/order by which punishment for contempt has been imposed. In this connection reference may be made to State of Maharashtra v. Mahboob S. Allibhoy, (1996) 4 SCC 411 : (AIR 1996 SC 2131), wherein the Supreme Court has laid down as follows (at page 2132 (of AIR)):

“On a plain reading S. 19 provides that an appeal shall lie as of right from any order or decision of the High Court in exercise of its jurisdiction to punish for contempt. In other words, if the High Court passes an order in exercise of its jurisdiction to punish any person for contempt of court, then only an appeal shall be maintainable under subsection (1) of Section 19 of the Act. As sub-section (1) of Section 19 provides that an appeal shall lie as of right from any order, an impression is created that an appeal has been provided under the said sub-section against any order passed by the High Court while exercising the jurisdiction of contempt proceedings. The words “any order” has to be read with the expression ‘decision’ used in the said sub-section which the High Court passes in exercise of its jurisdiction to punish for contempt. “Any order” is not independent of the expression ‘decision’. They have been put in an alternative form saying ‘order’ or ‘decision’. In either case, it must be in the nature of punishment for contempt.”

As the learned Judge has dismissed the contempt petition and discharged the notices, appeal under S. 19 of the Act is not maintainable.

4. The learned counsel for the appellant has, however, submitted that he has filed the present appeal not under S. 19 of the Act but under Rule 5 of Chapter VIII of the High Court Rules (hereinafter referred to as the Rules) and, therefore, this appeal is maintainable. It is not possible to agree with the learned counsel.

5. Rule 5 of Chapter VIII under which an appeal can be filed before a Division Bench from a judgment, not being a judgment specified therein, of one Judge, is reproduced below:

“5. Special Appeal.— An appeal shall lie to the Court from ajudgment (not being ajudgment passed in the exercise of appellate jurisdiction) in respect of a decree or order made by a Court subject to the superintendence of the Court and not being an order made in the exercise of revisional jurisdiction or in the exercise of its power of superintendence or in the exercise of criminal jurisdiction or in the exercise of jurisdiction conferred by Art. 226 or Art. 227, of the Constitution in respect of any judgment, order or award (a) of a tribunal, Court of statutory arbitrator made or purported to be made in the exercise or purported exercise of jurisdiction under any Uttar Pradesh Act or under any Central Act, with respect to any of the matters enumerated in the State List or the Concurrent List in the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution, or (b) of the Government or any Officer or authority, made or purported to be made in the exercise or purported exercise of appellate or revisional jurisdiction under any such Act.”

6. The question is whether appeal from a decision of single Judge given in exercise of the powers conferred by the Act is maintainable under the Rules of the High Court even though the Act itself has provided for appeal from such a decision. In National Telephone Co. Ltd. v. Post Master General, (1913) AC 546 (HL), it was laid down thus:

“When a question is stayed to be referred to an established Court without more, it, in my opinion, imports that the ordinary incidents of the procedure of that Court are to attach, and also that any general right of appeal from its decisions likewise attaches.”

At page 562 the same rule was reiterated as under:

“Where by statute matters are referred to the determination of a Court of record with no further provision, the necessary implication is, 1 think, that the Court will determine the matters, as a Court. Its jurisdiction is enlarged, but all the incidents of such jurisdiction, including the right of appeal from its decision, remains the same.”

The above rule has been followed by the English Courts in subsequent cases and has also been accepted as correct by the Supreme Court in N.S Thread Co. v. James Chadwick and Brothers, AIR 1953 SC 357. The Supreme Court has followed the said rule in subsequent cases also. Reference may be made to Collector, Varanasi v. Gauri Shanker Misra, AIR 1968 SC 384 : (1968 All LJ 139) and Maganlal v. Jaiswal Industries, (1989) 4 SCC 344 : AIR 1989 SC 2113. But the aforementioned rule will apply only in those cases where the jurisdiction is conferred on an established Court “without more” or “with no further provision.” If the statute, which has conferred the jurisdiction on the Court, itself lays down procedure, and provides for appeal from its decision, the appeal can be filed only under and in accordance with such astatute. In such a case the ordinary/general right of appeal from the decision of the Court stands taken away/excluded the statute, which has conferred the jurisdiction on the Court.

7. Supreme Court in South Asia Industries (P) Ltd. v. S.B Sarup Singh, AIR 1965 SC 1442, after considering the relevant case law, has in this connection laid down as under at page 1446 (of AIR):

“The following legal position emerges from the said discussion: A statute may give a right of appeal from an order of tribunal or a Court to the High Court without any limitation thereon. The appeal to the High Court will be regulated by the practice and procedure obtaining in the High Court. Under the rules made by the High Court in exercise of the powers conferred on it under S. 108 of the Government of India Act, 1915, an appeal under S. 39 of the Act will be heard by a single Judge. Any judgment made by the single Judge in the said appeal will, under Cl. 10 of the Letters patent, be subject to an appeal to that Court. If the order made by a single Judge is a judgment and if the appropriate Legislature has, expressly or by necessary implication, not taken away the right of appeal, the conclusion is inevitable that an appeal shall lie from the judgment of a single Judge under cl. 10 of the Letters Patent to the High Court. It follows that, if the Act had not taken away the Letters Patent appeal an appeal shall certainly lie from the judgment of the single Judge to the High Court.” 9. The settled position is that the ordinary/general right of appeal can be taken away/excluded expressly or by necessary implication by the statute, which has conferred jurisdiction on the Court. Ordinary right of appeal from a decision stands taken away if the Court's decision has been made final by the statute or when the statute is a self contained Code. The same will be the position if the statute expressly bars the appeal. In South Asia Industries (P) Ltd. v. S.B Sarup Singh, AIR 1965 SC 1442 (supra), it was held that when the statute makes the decision of the Court final, it imposes total bar against the appeal from such adecision. Accordingly appeal under Letters Patent from a decision of a single Judge given under Delhi Rent Control Act was declared as not maintainable. In Upadhyaya Hargovind Devshanker v. Dhirendrasinh Virbhad ??? ghji Solanki, (1988) 2 SCC 1 : AIR 1988 SC 915 Supreme Court held that no appeal under Letters Patent against the decision of a single Judge given ??? Representation of People Act is maintainable, because the said Act is a self contained Code regarding the matters relating to settlement of election disputes. The decisions by this Court in Siya Ram v. Nathuram, 1968 ALJ 576, and by the High Court of Rajasthan in Ramdhan v. Bhanvvar Lal, AIR 1985 Raj 185 (FB). which have taken the similar view were approved by the Supreme Court in the said case. In Union Of India v. Mohindra Supply Co. , AIR 1962 SC 256 : (1962 All LJ 1) one of the grounds on which the Supreme Court rejected the claim of appeal ??? Letters Patent against the decision of a single Judge under S. 39(1) of the Arbitration Act was sub-section (2) of S. 39 of the said Act by which the further appeal from such a decision was barred.

8. The right of appeal under any other law against a decision of a Court is also taken away if the statute, which has conferred the jurisdiction on the Court, has itself provided for an appeal from such a decision. The reason is that the rule that when a jurisdiction is conferred on a Court, it imports the ordinary incidents of the procedure of that Court including the right of appeal from its decision will not apply if the statute which has conferred the jurisdiction has itself made provision for appeal from the decision of such Court. As the Act has provided for appeal from order/de??? given thereunder, anappeal under Rule 5 of ??? of the Rules from such a decision ??? A Division Bench of this Court in ??? Kapoor v. Kamla Prasad Rai Special ??? 316 of 1995, decided on 23-4-19 ??? that an appeal filed against ??? passed under the Act is not maintainable ler Rule 5 of Chapter VIII.

9. The ??? ??? of Courts Act was enacted to define and ??? powers of certain Courts in punisr??? of Courts and to regulate their ??? tion thereto.” The Supreme Court ???igh Court of Madhya Pradesh 1993 Supp (1) SCC 529 : AIR 1992 SC 904 : (1992 AIR SCW 681) has ????? after the enforcement of the Act ???down therein will govern the contempt proceedings before the High Court. The relevant extract of said decision is reproduced below (at page 910 (of AIR):

“Priortothe Contempt of Courts Act, 1971, it was held that the High Court has inherent power to deal with a contempt of itself summarily and to adopt its own procedure, provided that it gives a fair and reasonable opportuni ty to the contemner to defend himself. But the procedure has now been prescribed by S. 15 of the Act in exercise of the powers conferred by Entry 14, List III of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution. Though the contempt jurisdiction of the Supreme Court and the High Court can be regulated by legislation by appropriate Legislature under Entry 77 of List I and Entry 14 of List III in exercise of which the Parliament has enacted the Act, 1971, the contempt jurisdiction of the Supreme Court and the High Court is given aconstitutional foundation by declaring to be ‘Courts of Record’ under Arts. 129 and 215 of the Constitution and, therefore, the inherent power of the Supreme Court and the High Court cannot be taken away by any legislation short of constitutional amendment.

The Act has defined “contempt” laid down procedure and has placed limitation on the powers of the Courts. By S. 19, the Act has created aright of appeal from an Order or decision of the Court imposing punishment for contempt. There is no provision for appeal under the Act against the decision discharging the notice of contempt and/ordismissing the contempt petition. When statute provides for appeal and also lays down the orders/decisions against which such an appeal can be filed, the legislature's intention is that appeal against all other orders is barred. As S. 19 has provided for appeal against an order or decision imposing punishment for contempt, the right to file an appeal against all other orders has been taken away by the statute. The result is that the appeal against a decision, rejecting the contempt petition is not maintainable under Rule 5 of Chapter VIII also.

10. Two decisions of Supreme Court in State of West Bengal v. Kartick Chandra Das, (1996) 5 SCC 342 : AIR 1996 SC 2437 : (1996 AIR SCW 2984) and Pritam Pal v. High Court of Madhya Pradesh, Jabalpur, 1993 Supp (1) SCC 529 : AIR 1992 SC 904 : (1992 AIR SCW 681) on which reliance has been placed by the learned counsel for the appellant are of no help to him. In State of West Bengal v. Kartick Chandra Das (supra) the question before the Supreme Court was whether S. 5 of the Limitation Act can be applied to an appeal filed against the order of single Judge passed in contempt Jurisdiction. Supreme Court answered the said question in affirmative. The submission of the learned counsel for the appellant is that as in the above case the appeal was filed under Letters Patent against the order of single Judge passed in contempt jurisdiction and as the Supreme Court has held that Section 5 of the Limitation Act is applicable to the said appeal, it should be presumed that the Supreme Court has decided that appeal against the judgment of single Judge, rejecting the Contempt petition is maintainable under Letters Patent/Rules of the Court. This submission cannot be accepted. The question involved in the present case regarding the maintainability of the appeal under the Letters Patent/Rules of the Court against the decision of single Judge rejecting the contempt petition was neither raised before the Supreme Court nor was it decided by it. Therefore, this decision is not an authority for holding that against the order rejecting the contempt case an appeal can be filed under Rules of the Court. Supreme Court in State of Orissa v. Sudhansu Sekhar Misra, AIR 1968 SC 647 has declared that:

“A decision is only an authority for what it actually decides. What is of the essence in a decision is its ratio and not every observation found therein nor what logically follows from the various observations made in it.”

The same principle was reiterated in Ambica Quarry Works v. State of Gujarat, (1987) 1 SCC 213 : AIR 1987 SC 1073. Similar is the position with regard to the case of Pritem Pal v. High Court of Madhya Pradesh, Jabalpur, 1993 Supp (1) SCC 529 : AIR 1992 SC 904 : (1992 AIR SCW 681) (supra). In that case also the controversy involved in the present case was not here.

11. Learned counsel for the respondents has, however, submitted that as no appeal lies under S. 19 of the Act from the decision of single Judge, dismissing the contempt petition, the applicant will be rendered remediless, if his appeal under Rule 5 of Chapter VIII is not held maintainable. This submission is also devoid of merit. In State of Maharashtra v. Mahboob S. Alhbhoy, (1996) 4 SCC 411 : (AIR 1996 SC 2131), (supra) the Supreme Court has reiterated the rale that a contempt proceeding is not a dispute between the two parties and such a proceeding is a matter between the Court and the person, who isalleged to have committed contempt. The relevant passage from the said judgment is as under (at page 2132 (of AIR)):

“It is well known that contempt proceeding is not a dispute between two parties, the proceeding is primarily between the court and the person who is alleged to have committed the contempt of Court. The person who informs the Court or brings to the notice of the Court that anyone has committed contempt of such court is not in the position of a prosecutor, he is simply assisting the court so that the dignity and the majesty of the Court is maintained and upheld. It is for the court, which initiated the proceeding to decide whether the person against whom such proceeding has been initiated should be punished or discharged taking into consideration the facts and circumstances of the particular case.”

The applicant is also not without remedy. He can challenge the decision of a Judge rejecting the contempt petition before the Supreme Court under Art. 136 of the Constitution of India.

12. For the reasons given above, this appeal is dismissed as not maintainable. In view of the facts and circumstances of the case, there shall be no order as to costs.

13. Appeal dismissed.