Shimla, June 27 -- The Himachal Pradesh High Court on Friday rejected an "unqualified and unconditional" apology offered by two respondents in a suo motu criminal contempt case involving serious allegations against the judiciary, including claims of judicial impropriety and nexus with drug cartels.

The Division Bench comprising Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan and Justice Sushil Kukreja, while refusing to accept the apology, observed, "We are sorry to say we cannot subscribe to the 'slap--say sorry--and forget' school of thought in administration of contempt jurisprudence. Saying 'sorry' does not make the slapper poorer, nor does the cheek which has taken the slap smart less upon the said hypocritical word."

The proceedings were initiated s...