3 min readRanchiApr 1, 2026 04:36 PM IST
A Ranchi civil court on Monday convicted advocate Mahesh Tewari for assaulting a woman lawyer inside the Jharkhand High Court premises in 2012, holding that the victim’s testimony “inspires confidence”.
The court found him guilty under sections related to outraging the modesty of a woman, voluntarily causing hurt, wrongful restraint, and criminal intimidation, saying the charges were “proved beyond reasonable doubt”.
On May 1, 2012, both the complainant, advocate Ritu Kumar, and the accused were present in the Jharkhand High Court premises amid tensions over professional rivalries and bar council elections.
According to the complaint, the woman had come for her regular work. As she exited Court 5, Tewari — who had just won the bar council election — threatened her, saying: “Now what will become of you.”
The exchange allegedly escalated into a physical assault, with the accused slapping and pushing her to the ground and kicking her, while using “filthy and abusive language”.
The court relied heavily on the woman’s testimony, calling her the “star witness” and noting it remained consistent. It also invoked the principle of res gestae — statements or acts closely linked to the event — citing a witness who reached the spot immediately and was informed by the victim, lending credibility to the prosecution’s case.
The defence argued the case was false and driven by professional rivalry, citing “inconsistencies” and a counter-case.
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Rejecting this, the court said “minor inconsistencies” do not weaken a credible case, adding the defence version “does not inspire confidence” and its witnesses were unreliable.
While noting prior tension between the sides, the court said this could not override the direct and consistent evidence of assault. It will hear arguments on sentencing next.
Tewari was also in the news last year after a heated exchange with a Jharkhand High Court judge during a hearing. In a viral video, he was heard telling the court, “I will argue in my own way… don’t try to humiliate anyone… don’t cross the limit,” along with remarks such as “the country is burning with the judiciary”, leading to contempt proceedings.
He later approached the Supreme Court, which dismissed his plea in January but allowed him to tender an unconditional apology before the Jharkhand High Court. The high court accepted the apology and dropped the contempt case.
