The Supreme Court issued show-cause notices to comedian Kunal Kamra and comic artist Rachita Taneja on Friday for their alleged scandalous tweets against the apex court.
A bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, R S Reddy and M R Shah sought response from the two in six weeks on the notices issued in two separate cases. It, however, exempted them from personal appearances in the cases.
The top court had reserved its order on Thursday on a batch of pleas seeking initiation of contempt proceedings against Kamra and Taneja.
The controversy pertains to Kamra posting a series of tweets on November 11 after a two-judge bench, comprising justice Chandrachud and justice Indira Banerjee, granted interim bail to Republic TV editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami in a 2018 alleged abetment to suicide case.
. The same day, law student Skand Bajpai wrote to Attorney General KK Venugopal, seeking his consent that contempt proceedings be initiated against Kamra. In a tweet on November 12, Bajpai posted on Twitter a letter from AG, in which Venugopal gave his consent
Attorney General K K Venugopal had granted consent for initiation of criminal contempt proceedings against Kamra, saying the tweets were in “bad taste” and it was time that people understand that attacking the apex court brazenly would attract punishment under the Contempt of Courts Act, 1972.
Similarly, the attorney general had given consent to initiate criminal contempt proceedings against Taneja, stating that the posts were intended to denigrate the Supreme Court and lower its authority in the eyes of the public.
The consent of either the attorney general or the solicitor general is necessary under section 15 of the Contempt of Courts Act for initiating contempt proceedings against a person.
Criminal contempt of the Supreme Court is punishable with fine up to Rs 2,000 and imprisonment up to six months.
