The Gujarat High Court has accepted an unconditional apology from Deepak Khosla and dropped suo motu contempt proceedings initiated over remarks made against two sitting judges. The Bench of Justice N. S. Sanjay Gowda and Justice J. L. Odedra took note of Khosla’s expression of regret and his undertaking to donate ₹1 lakh to a hospital treating cancer patients.
In its October 13, 2026 judgment, the Court directed that the demand draft be handed over to Mangal Jivan Healthcare Private Limited through the Registry.
The contempt proceedings began after the Court took objection to assertions made in an application filed by Khosla seeking contempt action. The remarks concerned two sitting judges of the Gujarat High Court and included allegations relating to judicial proceedings and the handling of a separate matter.
During the hearing, Khosla appeared in person and offered an unconditional apology for the statements identified by the Bench.
The Bench noted that Khosla’s affidavit of apology was lengthy and, at certain points, attempted to justify his conduct. However, it also acknowledged his expression of regret and remorse. The Court recorded that his original contempt petition was directed against seven respondents and that there was no justification for making assertions against the judges who had heard his matter.
The Court observed,
“The fact remains that the respondent No.1 has expressed his genuine regret and remorse in making assertions which were wholly unnecessary.”
Senior Advocate Shalin Mehta opposed the acceptance of the apology, arguing that it was not bona fide. He relied on earlier contempt orders passed by the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court. Khosla responded that those orders had either been stayed or set aside.
After considering the submissions, the Bench stated,
“We are satisfied that Shri Khosla has genuinely regretted the assertions that he had made in his application, which led to the initiation of the suo motu contempt proceedings.”
The Court also noted Khosla’s undertaking to donate ₹1 lakh to Mangal Jivan Healthcare Private Limited, a hospital treating cancer patients.
Accepting the unconditional apology and taking note of the voluntary donation, the High Court directed that the demand draft of ₹1 lakh be handed over to Mangal Jivan Healthcare Private Limited through the Registry. The Court dropped the contempt proceedings against Khosla.
The Bench also accepted the apology tendered by respondent No. 2 and dropped the proceedings against her. All pending applications were disposed of accordingly.
Case Title: Suo Motu v. Deepak Khosla & Anr.
Case Number: R/Criminal Misc. Application No. 2911 of 2025, with connected applications
