NEWS: Attorney General Declines consent to Initiate Contempt Proceedings against Rajdeep Sardesai

LITT Law for lawyers and teams

Attorney General KK Venugopal has rejected an application seeking his consent to initiate contempt proceedings against Consulting Editor of India Today group, Rajdee Sardesai for his various tweets regarding judiciary.

The AG stated that:

“Mr. Sardesai’s statements are not of “so serious a nature as to undermine the majesty of the Supreme Court or lower its stature in the minds of the public. The reputation of SC as one of the great pillar of our democracy has been built assiduously over the last 70 years. Trifling remarks and mere passing of criticism though perhaps distasteful are unlikely to tarnish the image of the institution.”

The petition for initiation of contempt proceedings was filed by Astha Khurana, claiming that Sardesai has willingly disrespected Supreme Court and attempted to defame the institution through various statements made on Twitter.

She highlighted Sardesai’s Tweets wherein Sardesai has remarked saying “Clearly, court looking to wriggle out of an embarrassment of its own making”, which was in the context of ₹1 fine imposed on Prashant Bhushan in his contempt case.

Further, she also mentioned his Tweet casting aspersions on (retd.) Justice Arun Mishra.
The petitioner has contended that the statements made by Rajdeep Sardesai pose a big threat to the Judiciary.
“Such attacks on this Hon’ble Court is not a freedom of speech and expression, but it has done purposely in order to defame and disrespect the image of the Court.”