Supreme Court Bar Association moves resolution to initiate contempt proceedings against Nishikant Dubey

SCBA moves resolution to initiate contempt proceedings against Nishikant Dubey.

Supreme Court Bar Association on Tuesday issued a resolution condemning the remarks of BJP MP Nishikant Dubey against the Supreme Court and the CJI Sanjiv Khanna.

“This statement is not only defamatory but also amounts to contempt of the Supreme Court. This attack on the Supreme Court, as Institution, and qua the Chief Justice of India Mr. Justice Sanjiv Khanna, as an individual, is unacceptable and must be dealt with in accordance with the law," SCBA said in its statement.

The association in its resolution requested the Attorney General of India to grant consent for initiating contempt proceedings against Dubey for protecting the dignity of CJI Khanna.

Meanwhile, the apex court agreed to list a plea seeking contempt proceedings against Dubey for hearing next week over his alleged derogatory remarks targeting the top court and Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna.

The matter was mentioned before a bench comprising Justice BR Gavai and Justice Augustine George Masih by an advocate, who informed the court that there had been no response yet from Attorney General R Venkataramani on granting consent to initiate contempt proceedings against the Lok Sabha MP.

Under the Contempt of Courts Act, prior permission from the Attorney General or Solicitor General is mandatory before individuals can move the Supreme Court to initiate criminal contempt action.

Dubey, in an interview with news agency ANI last week, held CJI Khanna responsible for “all civil wars in the country”, immediately drawing sharp criticism.

Earlier, Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar had stirred a similar debate, questioning judicial accountability and asserting that courts have, at times, bypassed the Constitution to shape laws. His remarks came in the context of a recent Supreme Court verdict on the powers of Governors and the President in relation to state legislation.