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- Published: August 18, 2020 09:12
New Delhi : A petition has been filed before Attorney General of India KK Venugopal to procure consent under Section 15 of Contempt of Courts Act 1971 read with rule 3 of Contempt proceedings of the Supreme Court 1975, for initiating Criminal contempt proceedings against Swara Bhaskar.
The petition intends to initiate criminal contempt proceedings against Bhaskar for passing derogatory and scandalous statements in the context of the Supreme Court of India on February 1, 2020, at a panel discussion organised by ‘Mumbai Collective’.
The petition is filed by Advocate Anuj Saxena, Prakash Sharma, Mahek Maheshwari on behalf of Usha Shetty.
The petition says that one of Bhasker’s statements in her speech was particularly incriminating. “We are living in a country where the SC states in a judgement demolition of Babri Masjid was unlawful, and in the same judgement rewards the same people who brought down the mosque,” Bhasker had said while referring to the Supreme Court’s judgement to grant ownership rights of the disputed land at Ayodhya to the Hindu parties involved in the case last year.
“…We are now in a situation where our courts are not sure whether they believe in the constitution or not,” she continued.
In this regard, the petition claimed, “The alleged contemnor (Bhaskar) statements intends to incite feeling of no-confidence amongst the public with respect to the proceedings of the Hon’ble Court and integrity of the Hon’ble Judges of the Apex Court of India.”
It also alleges that Bhasker’s criticisms were not only “cheap” publicity stunts but a deliberate attempt to encourage people to revolt against the Supreme Court.
A five-judge constitution bench of the apex court had on November 9 last year delivered a unanimous verdict paving the way for construction of Ram Temple at the disputed site at Ayodhya and had directed the Centre to allot a five-acre plot to the Sunni Waqf Board for building a mosque.