SC Issues Notice to Bhushan After AG, Centre File Contempt Plea

The contempt petition refers to the tweets posted by Bhushan on the appointment of former interim CBI Chief Rao.

Activist-lawyer Prashant Bhushan.

(Photo: PTI)

A two-judge Supreme Court bench on Wednesday, 6 February, issued a notice to activist-lawyer Prashant Bhushan on contempt plea filed by Attorney General KK Venugopal and the Centre. The date of next hearing has been fixed on 7 March, reported ANI.

The contempt petition was filed against Bhushan’s tweets alleging that the AG had misled the court by submitting that the appointment of then-interim CBI Director Nageshwar Rao had the approval of the High-Powered Selection Committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In court, on 6 February, Attorney General and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, argued that Bhushan had spoken irresponsibly without first asking the court for copies of the minutes of the HPC’s meeting.

The two-judge Bench noted that they will also be considering clarifying the law on commenting on sub-judice matters.

The tweets in question were posted by Bhushan on 1 February, in which he allegedly said that the government appeared to have misled the apex court and perhaps submitted fabricated minutes of the meeting.

The Centre, in its petition, stated, "Such an act by a counsel making false and irresponsible allegations on a public platform, rather than raising his grievances, if any, before this Hon'ble Court, is grossly contumacious and warrants punishment by this Court,” Live Law reported.

Venugopal, in his petition filed on Monday, said Bhushan deliberately intended to cast aspersions on the “integrity and honesty” of the Attorney-General who had placed the minutes of the meeting before the apex court during the 1 February hearing.

During the hearing on 1 February, Venugopal had in a sealed cover placed before the bench, headed by Justice Arun Mishra, the minutes of the meeting of the Selection Committee which was held last month for appointing the new CBI chief.

Venugopa had informed the bench that the Centre had taken the permission of the Committee to appoint Rao as interim CBI Director.

The Selection Committee comprises the prime minister, the leader of the largest opposition party and the chief justice of India or his nominee judge of the apex court.

The top court was hearing a petition filed by NGO Common Cause challenging the Centre’s decision to appoint Rao as interim CBI director.

(With inputs from PTI)