New Delhi: Supreme Court on Friday held activist-lawyer Prashant Bhushan guilty of contempt for his two derogatory tweets against the judiciary. Bhushan had tweeted on CJI and his four predecessors.
The Court will hear the arguments on sentence against him on August 20. A bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra said it would hear on August 20 the arguments on quantum of sentence to be awarded to Bhushan in the matter.
The apex court had on August 5 reserved its verdict in the matter after Bhushan had defended his two tweets, saying they were against the judges regarding their conduct in their personal capacity and they did not obstruct the administration of justice.
On July 22, the top court had issued a show-cause notice to Bhushan after initiating the criminal contempt against him for his two tweets.
Earlier, while reserving the order in the contempt case, the top court had dismissed a separate petition filed by Bhushan seeking recall of the July 22 order by which the notice was issued against him in a contempt proceeding initiated for his alleged contemptuous tweets against the judiciary.
The top court had not agreed to the contention of senior advocate Dushyant Dave, representing Bhushan, that the separate plea had raised objection against the manner in which the contempt proceedings were started without the opinion of Attorney General K K Venugopal and it be sent to another bench.
Bhushan had sought a direction to declare that the apex court's secretary-general has allegedly 'acted unconstitutionally and illegally' in accepting a 'defective contempt petition' filed against him.
Referring to a judgement, the apex court had said that it has 'meticulously' followed the law in entertaining the contempt plea and it did not agree to the submission that it be sent to another bench for hearing.
Dave arguing for Bhushan in the contempt case had said, "The two tweets were not against the institution.
"They are against the judges in their personal capacity regarding their conduct. They are not malicious and do not obstruct administration of justice".
While referring to the tweets by Bhushan, the apex court had said these statements are prima facie capable of "undermining the dignity and authority" of the institution of the Supreme Court in general and the office of Chief Justice of India in particular, in the eyes of the public at large.
With PTI inputs
