Jharkhand lawyer Mahesh Tiwari has to tender an unconditional apology to the Jharkhand High Court in accordance with a directive by the top court.

Today, January 23,2025, when the state of Jharkhand is busy celebrating the Sarshwati puja, the Supreme Court issued an order directing the lawyer, Mahesh Tiwari, to tender an unconditional apology to the Jharkhand High Court.

He has been directed to apologise in a case of contempt proceedings stemming from a viral courtroom exchange where he told a judge, "Don't cross the limit". The judge is Justice Rajesh Kumar, who has gained popularity for his intigrity and justice delivery in this state.

The bench, led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, allowed the apology to be filed before a five-judge High Court bench, urging it to be considered "sympathetically".
Key details regarding this and similar recent Supreme Court (SC) directions include:

Jharkhand Case (Jan 2026): The SC closed the plea by lawyer Mahesh Tiwari, who was facing criminal contempt for a heated exchange with a Jharkhand High Court judge. The SC, while allowing the apology, noted the legal process should not be abused to "show" power.

The SC previously had earlier directed a lawyer and litigant to apologize to a Telangana High Court judge for making "scurrilous and scandalous" allegations in a transfer petition.

As per the judicial record, in the August 2025 case, the bench remarked that High Court judges are "in no way inferior" to Supreme Court judges, condemning the trend of criticizing lower court judges.

Notably, these directives are part of the Supreme Court's efforts to maintain decorum, respect for the judiciary, and curb abusive or scandalous language against judges.