Six fined Rs 1,000 each after 10-minute uproar in Pune court

People who came to court seeking justice ended up being punished themselves. A row between two parties in a Pune court halted work for about 10 minutes. Taking a stern view, the court fined six people Rs 1,000 each and said plainly that a court is not a place to settle personal quarrels.

The six fined are Prasad Pawar, Namdev Pawar, Shanta Pawar, Savita Chavan, Lahu Chavan and Pranjal Chavan. The order was passed by Judicial Magistrate First Class Dr G R Dornalapalle.

The incident took place during the hearing of a criminal case registered at Samarth police station. The complainant and the accused were both present in court. An argument broke out between them in the middle of the proceedings. It appeared that a quarrel from outside the court had spilled inside. In the presence of lawyers, the noise quickly grew.

The clash stopped the court's work for about 10 minutes, and the proceedings came to a halt.

To avoid a harsher penalty, some of them apologised and asked for leniency. The apology did not help them. The prosecution strongly opposed any leniency. It argued that obstructing judicial proceedings and showing disrespect to the court are serious offences that cannot be taken lightly.

Public prosecutor Yogesh Kadam appeared for the prosecution. He asked the court to treat the incident sternly.

Taking into account the disruption to the proceedings and the prosecution's arguments, the magistrate invoked Section 384 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). The magistrate fined each of the six Rs 1,000. The court also ordered that if the fine is not paid, they must serve one month of simple imprisonment.

The court further directed that three of them be taken into judicial custody immediately.

The message from the court's action is clear: a court exists to deliver justice, not to settle old scores. Apologising after disrupting proceedings does not by itself erase the consequences.