A division bench of Apex Court held that procedural lapses are crucial in proceedings under Contempt of Courts Act 1971.
From Para 23,
23) We have already pointed out that while dealing with criminal contempt in terms of Section 2(c) of the Act, strict procedures are to be adhered. In a series of decisions, this Court has held that jurisdiction to initiate proceedings for contempt as also the jurisdiction to punish for contempt are discretionary with the court. Contempt generally and criminal contempt certainly is a matter between the court and the alleged contemnor. No one can compel or demand as of right initiation of proceedings for contempt. The person filing an application or petition before the court does not become a complainant or petitioner in the proceedings. He is just an informer or relator. His duty ends with the facts being brought to the notice of the court. It is thereafter for the court to act on such information or not. [Vide Om Prakash Jaiswal vs. D.K. Mittal, (2000) 3 SCC 171] Further Section 15 of the Act as well as the Madras High Court Contempt of Court Rules insist that, particularly, for initiation of criminal contempt, consent of the Advocate General is required. Any deviation from the prescribed Rules should not be accepted or condoned lightly and must be deemed to be fatal to the proceedings taken to initiate action for contempt. In the present case, the above provisions have not been strictly adhered to and even the notice issued by the then Division Bench merely sought for explanation from the appellant about the allegations made by Respondent No. 1.
Muthu Karuppan Vs Parithi Ilamvazhuthi and Anr on 15 Apr 2011
Citations : [2011 AIR SC 1645], [2011 CRI LJ 2680], [2011 CRIMES SC 2 163], [2011 CTC 3 520], [2011 JCR SC 3 23], [2011 JT SC 4 268], [2011 KCCR SN 3 329], [2011 RCR CRIMINAL 2 829], [2011 SCALE 4 664], [2011 SCC 5 496], [2011 SCC CRI 2 709], [2011 SCR 5 329], [2011 UC 2 922], [2011 UJ 2 1658], [2011 AIR SC 2588], [2012 CUTLT 113 822], [2011 AIC 102 74], [2011 AIOL 291], [2011 CRLJ SC 2680], [2011 JT 4 273], [2011 SUPREME 3 217], [2011 SUPREME 3 228], [2011 LW CRL 1 666], [2011 SCC CR 2 709], [2011 SCJ 4 82], [2011 MLJ CRI 3 542], [2011 CCR 2 214], [2011 SLT 3 438], [2011 RCR CRIMINAL SC 2 829], [2011 KCCRSN 3 329], [2012 CUT LT 113 822], [2011 MLJ CRL 3 54], [22011 KHC SN 2 212011 CRLJ 2680], [2011 AIR SCW 2588], [2011 JT 4 268], [2011 CRILJ 2680]
Other Sources :
https://indiankanoon.org/doc/1204818/
https://www.casemine.com/judgement/in/5609aef4e4b014971141544e
Index of all Perjury case laws is here.