A petition has filed in the Supreme Court seeking contempt proceedings against India Today employee Rajdeep Sardesai for his tweets on the suo-motu contempt case against Prashant Bhushan and judiciary.
According to the reports, the plea which sought contempt action against Rajdeep Sardesai for making comments against country’s judiciary stated that Rajdeep Sardesai’s tweets showed that these were “not only a cheap stunt of publicity among people but a deliberate attempt to spread hatred in form of Anti India campaign.”
Further the petition states that Rajdeep Sardesai’s tweets show that these were “not only a cheap stunt of Publicity among people but a deliberate attempt to spread hatred in form of Anti India campaign.”@IndiaToday @sardesairajdeep #Contempt
— Bar & Bench (@barandbench) September 10, 2020
The petitioner has also sought the consent of Attorney General KK Venugopal for initiating contempt proceedings against Rajdeep Sardesai.
Rajdeep Sardesai had criticised the Supreme Court after the apex court had convicted controversial far-left activist Prashant Bhushan for making disrespectful remarks against the Supreme Court.
While it is not yet clear which tweet of his has warranted petition on contempt of court proceedings, here are the few tweets Rajdeep Sardesai had made after Supreme Court had found Prashant Bhushan guilty in the contempt proceedings against him.
More on @pbhushan1 case: FYI: Sec 67 of IPC stipulates – if fine < Rs. 50/- ,imprisonment can’t exceed 2 months. SC has given 3 months.
— Rajdeep Sardesai (@sardesairajdeep) August 31, 2020
2. SC has no authority to debar practice – 5 Judge Bench ruling of SC in VC Misra’s case. Why can’t SC just apologise and be done with it!🙏
In another tweet, Rajdeep Sardesai had criticised the Supreme Court over its ruling on Prashant Bhushan case while claiming that the apex court had time to hear contempt case while habeas corpus petitions of those detained in Kashmir was pending for more than a year.
He had also said that the contempt of court case agains Bhushan was an embarrassment of its own making by the Supreme Court.Breaking: @pbhushan1 held guilty of contempt by SC, sentence to be pronounced on August 20.. this even as habeas corpus petitions of those detained in Kashmir for more than a year remain pending! 🙏
— Rajdeep Sardesai (@sardesairajdeep) August 14, 2020
In one more tweet he had asked the courts on how to do their job.Breaking: Rs 1 token fine imposed by SC on @pbhushan1 in contempt case.. if he doesn’t pay it, then 3 months jail sentence! Clearly, court looking to wriggle out of an embarrassment of its own making.
— Rajdeep Sardesai (@sardesairajdeep) August 31, 2020
Am told @TwitterIndia has already agreed to delete the tweets even before @pbhushan1 can file his response! So much for free speech. Now, if only twitter and the courts would act against the real hate mongers! #PrashantBhushan https://t.co/rFiGyqYzPg
— Rajdeep Sardesai (@sardesairajdeep) July 22, 2020
The Contempt case against Prashant Bhushan
On August 31, the Supreme Court let off convicted senior lawyer Prashant Bhushan, held guilty in contempt of court, with a nominal fine of Re 1. However, the court added that if Bhushan fails to pay a fine of Re 1, he will be sentenced to 3 months in jail and suspension of his lawyering for 3 months.
The case pertained to two tweets where Prashant Bhushan had cast aspersions against the Supreme Court and specifically, CJI Bobde.
The court had then granted additional time for Prashant Bhushan to consider providing an unconditional apology for his scurrilous remarks. However, in his vanity of portraying himself as Mahatma Gandhi, Bhushan refused to apologise, claiming to tender an apology would tantamount to “contempt of his conscience.”
Responding to the Supreme Court verdict asking Prashant Bhushan to pay a token fine of Re 1 for his tweets against the judiciary, the senior lawyer Prashant Bhushan issued a protracted statement, admitting to paying the fine but indicated that he would file a review petition against the order.
