Supreme Court says Prashant Bhushan guilty of contempt\, to hear arguments on sentence on August 20
The Supreme Court on Friday held activist lawyer Prashant Bhushan guilty of contempt over two of his recent tweets on CJI S.A. Bobde riding a motorcycle and the functioning of the court, and said that it would hear his arguments on the quantum of sentence on August 20.
A three judge bench led by justice Arun Mishra gave the ruling.
The bench rejected his explanation that he did not intend to scandalise the court but intended to express his anguish over suspension of physical hearings of the court amid a pandemic while the CJI appeared in public on a motor cycle sans a mask.
Bhushan, through senior advocate Dushyant Dave, also argued that his other tweet on the alleged acts of omission and commission in protecting the fundamental rights of citizens and upholding the right to dissent of citizens was correct.
Dave said that it was a general perception, and was genuine criticism of the judiciary.
The bench rejected the arguments. The two tweets have since been removed by twitter.
Contempt of court is punishable with a maximum of six months in jail or a fine under the contempt of courts act. But the top court has extraordinary powers under Article 142 of the constitution to take any action it wants against any contemnor.
The court has earlier sent activist Arundhati Roy to a day in jail over the criticism of the court in the dealing with the oustees of the Narmada dam project.