The Supreme Court of India has taken a stern stance against a litigant who has been accused of flouting court directives. The apex court issued a non-bailable warrant against Upendra Nath Dalai, a public interest litigation (PIL) petitioner, for his refusal to deposit costs imposed on him earlier.

Dalai had filed a PIL seeking to declare Satsang founder Sree Sree Thakur Anukulchandra as a parmatma, resulting in a cost of ₹1 lakh imposed on him.

The Supreme Court had clarified in December 2022 that India is a secular country, dismissing Dalai's petition as a 'misconceived' prayer made through PILs. Despite this, Dalai failed to comply with the court's order to deposit the imposed costs. In response to the notice of contempt proceedings, Dalai expressed his defiance in disrespectful language, referring to the notice as "useless" and the court's action as a "disrespectful act."

A bench comprising Justices CT Ravikumar and Rajesh Bindal took strong exception to Dalai's language, deeming it contemptuous. The bench, expressing displeasure, directed the Balasore district Superintendent of Police to ensure Dalai's presence in court on February 13, 2024. The court had initially issued a bailable warrant against Dalai in September 2023, but he had failed to appear before the court in the matter.

The contempt proceedings stem from Dalai's failure to abide by the court's order, both in terms of depositing costs and appearing in court. The Supreme Court's decision to escalate the warrant to a non-bailable one indicates the gravity with which it views Dalai's non-compliance and disrespectful attitude towards the court.

Case: In Re: Contempt Against Upendra Nath Dalai.