Contempt of court case: Supreme Court suspends 6-month sentence on YouTuber Gulshan Pahuja

The Supreme Court has suspended a six-month sentence for YouTuber Gulshan Pahuja, who was convicted of criminal contempt for allegedly scandalizing the court and lowering its authority through his videos. The bench of Justices P S Narasimha and Sheel Nagu issued a notice on Pahuja's plea challenging the May 16, 2026, High Court order convicting him and sentencing him to imprisonment.

The case originated in 2025 when a civil judge at Shahdara court, Charu Asiwal, filed a reference regarding contentious videos and banners on Pahuja's YouTube channel. The videos allegedly showed lawyers making objectionable and derogatory remarks against judicial officers and the judicial institution as a whole. The High Court had initiated contempt proceedings against the lawyers, which were dropped after they apologized unconditionally.

In its May 16 order, the High Court stated that Pahuja's acts had scandalized the court and lowered its authority, and warned that failing to impose adequate punishment could encourage similar behavior in the future. The court imposed a fine of Rs 2,000 under the Contempt of Courts Act, with an additional month of imprisonment if payment was not made.

However, it had previously suspended the sentence for 60 days after Pahuja expressed his intention to challenge the April 2026 verdict and the May 16 order. Pahuja maintained that his conduct was bonafide and that he should not be deterred from criticizing judges through the contempt jurisdiction.