The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed advocate Nilesh Ojha’s appeal challenging contempt proceedings by the Bombay High Court for his remarks against a sitting judge in the Disha Salian death case. The bench observed that holding a press conference to voice such allegations is unbecoming of a lawyer.
The Supreme Court dismissed advocate Nilesh Ojha’s appeal, ruling that holding a press conference in the Disha Salian death case to level allegations against a Bombay High Court judge cannot be taken lightly. Disha Salian, former manager of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, was found dead in June 2020. Ojha, who represented her father Dinesh Salian, made the remarks on April 1, 2025, ahead of a plea for a CBI probe into her death.
The judge wrote to the Bombay High Court Chief Justice, prompting a show-cause notice to Ojha. His reply contained further “disparaging and scandalous imputations,” leading the high court to initiate criminal contempt proceedings. Ojha then approached the Supreme Court challenging this decision.
A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta stated, “the manner in which the press conference was convened and the allegations were projected is, prima facie, unbecoming of a member of the legal profession.” Justice Mehta added, “An advocate bears a heightened duty to uphold the dignity of the institution… Public confidence in the judiciary constitutes an indispensable foundation of the rule of law.”
The bench noted that the allegations went beyond errors of law or fact, imputing motives and lack of impartiality to a sitting judge, which erodes trust in judicial administration.
