Attorney General K.K. Venugopal has granted consent to initiate proceedings against journalist Ajeet Bharti for criminal contempt of the Supreme Court of India.
The consent under Section 15 of the Contempt of Courts Act was granted on a letter sent by counsel Pratik Kumar.
The letter said,
A free translation of Ajeet Bharti’s statements disclose the low levels that he was prepared to sink to by attacking the judges of the Supreme Court by stating:
“The Hindus have this time shown the Supreme Court and all High Courts that the half trash knowledge regarding Hindu festivals will be put in the prime spot of the judges like the stick of a rocket.”
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“These people are bent upon destroying the history, religion and festivals of the Hindus. Civil disobedience (i.e. respected people, I am saying this with humility, put it in your ) is the only visible solution.”
The letter states that these statements are vulgar, vituperative, outrageous and gross and undoubtedly tend to lower the authority of the Supreme Court of India and would seriously undermine the confidence that the people have in the institution. I have already granted consent earlier for contempt to be initiated against him.
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Court bashing is becoming a pastime for some. Given the nature of the statements extracted above, I have no choice but to grant my consent a second time, Venugopal said.
Accordingly, Venugopal granted consent to initiate proceedings for criminal contempt of the Supreme Court of India under Section 15 of the Contempt of Courts Act,1971 read with Rule 3(c) of the Rules to Regulate Proceedings for Contempt of the Supreme Court of India, 1975.