SC’s contempt notice after petitioner calls judge, ‘terrorist'

New Delhi, Nov 26: The Supreme Court directed the Registry to issue show cause notice for initiating contempt proceedings against a petitioner who called a Supreme Court judge a terrorist.

You must be sent to jail for a few months then you will realise, a Bench comprising Chief Justice of India, D Y Chandrachud and Justice Hima Kohli told the petitioner while stating that his allegations were scandalous.

The court was hearing a plea filed by a person seeking early hearing in a pending matter. The CJI was enraged a baseless allegation was made against a sitting Supreme Court judge.

"You have made scandalous accusations against a Judge of the Supreme Court. What interest will the Judge have in your matter? You say all these because the judge is from your state?," the CJI said.

The advocate appearing for the petitioner told the Bench that he had asked his client to unconditionally apologise for making such averments. The lawyer said that he will only represent him if the man offers an unconditional apology.

I tender my apology, the man said and added that he was facing mental trauma and he had filed the application at the time when COVID-19 had peaked. The petitioner had filed two applications, one in March 2021 and the other in July 2021. In both applications, the petitioner had levelled similar allegations. The Bench while directing the Registry to issue show cause notice, listed the matter for hearing after three weeks.

"The petitioner has made scandalous allegations against a Judge of this Court in support of his application for an early hearing. We are not inclined to entertain the application for an early hearing. The application shall stand dismissed," the Bench said.

The Bench also recorded the apology made by the petitioner. In order to determine the genuineness of the apology, the Bench posted the matter for hearing after three weeks.