HC orders criminal contempt proceedings against BJP MLA for trying to influence judge

Bhopal/Jabalpur: A division bench of MP high court headed by Chief Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva on Thursday ordered criminal contempt proceedings against the BJP MLA from Katni, Sanjay Pathak, for trying to influence a judge of the high court in a mining case in which the legislator's son and mother were allegedly involved.Pathak, a former state minister who's often referred to as a mining baron, had made a call to Justice Vishal Mishra, who disclosed it in the open court while recusing himself from hearing of the case on September 1, 2025. Later, one Ashutosh Dixit from Katni, who had earlier lodged the complaint against Pathak's company with the economic offence wing (EOW) of the police, moved the court seeking legal action against the BJP MLA for trying to influence the judge. Hearing Dixit's plea on Thursday, the division bench of Chief Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva and Justice Vinay Saraf ordered that criminal contempt proceedings be initiated against Pathak. In his complaint to EOW in Jan 2025, Dixit had accused Pathak's firm, M/s Nirmala Minerals, of indulging in illegal mining. He alleged that the company carried out illegal mining at Sehora town in Jabalpur, Gosalpur and Katni on a large scale and even the places earmarked as green belt had not been spared. Since there was no action by EOW on his complaint, he moved the court seeking action. During hearing of the petition, EOW apprised the court that Dixit's complaint had been forwarded to the mines and minerals department of the state government for necessary action. The complaint is pending there. The directors of M/s Nirmala Minerals, including the MLA's mother Nirmala Pathak and his son Yash Pathak, had moved an application in the court to join the proceedings as interveners. During hearing of the petition, Justice Vishal Mishra came to know that it was Yash Pathak's father Sanjay Pahak who had tried to talk to him over the phone about the case in question. After this, he recused himself from the hearing.