The Supreme Court on Friday issued contempt notices to comedian Kunal Kamra and cartoonist Rachita Taneja and has given them six weeks to respond for their criticism of the apex court in the tweets.
The top court has given them six weeks to respond in the separate cases however, the court has exempted them from personal appearances.
A three-judge bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, R Subhash Reddy and MR Shah issued the notice asking them explain why contempt action should not be taken against them for ‘scandalising the judiciary.’
Advocate Nishant R Katneshwarkar, who appeared for one of the petitioners read out the letter of Attorney General K K Venugopal who had granted the consent for ignition of primal content proceedings against comedian Kunal Kamra. The court asked the lawyer to not read the alleged tweets by comedian Kamra in the open court, saying they have already gone through Venugopal’s letter on the issue.
Kunal Kamra faces the contempt charges over his tweets directed at the top court for granting bail to Republic TV’s anchor Arnab Goswami after his arrest in a abetment to suicide case. Eight people had filed cases against him for his tweets.
Earlier this month, A-G K K Venugopal gave consent for contempt charges against cartoonist Rachita Taneja for her illustrations on the apex court. A-G Venugopal said that the illustrations was ‘gross insinuation’ against the top court of the country and ‘audacious assault and insult to the institution.’
Cartoonist Taneja tweeted an illustration on SC granting bail to Arnab Goswami. The same bench took note of the fact that Attorney General K K Venugopal has consented to the plea filed by a law student.
Foe contempt proceedings against a person, the consent of either the attorney general or the solicitor general is needed.
A-G Venugopal had said that comedian Kamra’s tweet were ‘in bad taste’ and ‘crossed the line between humour and contempt.’
Comedian Kamra had put out a statement addressed to judges and said, “My view hasn’t changed because the silence of the Supreme Court of India on matters of other’s personal liberty cannot go uncriticized. I don’t intend to retract my tweets or apologise for them. I believe they speak for themselves.”