New Delhi,  The Supreme Court said a person should come to court with clean hands and not file false documents, as it sentenced a man to detention for one day -- till the rising of the court.

A bench, headed by Justice U.U. Lalit and comprising Justices S. Ravindra Bhat and P.S. Narasimha. said: "It is well settled that a person who comes to the court must come with clean hands and never make even an attempt to pollute the stream of justice by filing a document which he knows to be false or fabricated."

The bench noted counsel's submission that his client has accepted his guilt and is not insisting on framing of any charges and leaves it entirely to the mercy of this court on the issue of punishment

The case was regarding a man, who was given two weeks to surrender before a court last year in a matter in Maharashtra, but he filed an application seeking four weeks' time. He attached a laboratory test report under the signature of two doctors, claiming he was Covid-19 positive.

According to the doctors, they had never issued any such certificate to the person and under these circumstances, the top court issued notice to him, as to why action in contempt should not be initiated against him.

"It is true that no order was passed on the application and a matter of fact, no extension to surrender was granted by this court. However, after it was pointed out by the learned counsel for the complainant that the certificate appended as Annexure A-3 was forged and fabricated document, notices were issued to the concerned doctors under whose signatures the certificate was issued. Thereafter, both the doctors have filed their affidavit," said the bench in its order passed on Tuesday.

It said the person knowingly placed a document on record, which he was aware to be a forged and fabricated one, and held him guilty of contempt of court.

Noting that he accepted the guilt right at the initial stage and tendered an unconditional apology, the bench sentenced the man to detention for one day, that is, till the rising of the court. The bench directed that the person shall be taken to the office of the concerned Additional Registrar (in-charge of security) where he shall be detained till the rising of the court.

The top court also imposed a fine of Rs 2,000 on him and failing which, he will undergo a default sentence of three days. The man's counsel submitted that his client will surrender before the concerned court within seven days.