[Breaking] Law Student Files Contempt Petition Against Kunal Kamra Over His Tweets On Supreme Court With Sanction From Attorney General

Skand Bajpai, a fourth-year law student at New Law College, Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed to be University has moved Supreme Court seeking to initiate criminal contempt of Court proceedings against comedian Kunal Kamra, after he obtained the required sanction from Attorney General KK Venugopal.

He has approached the Supreme Court under Article 129 of the Constitution of India read with Section 15 of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1975 and Rule 3(c) of the Rules to Regulate Proceedings for Contempt of The Supreme Court, 1975

Kamra had made a series of tweets regarding the Supreme Court and initiation of contempt against him has been sought for 4 of his tweets posted in the wake of the Supreme Court granting interim bail to Arnab Goswami.

Complaining against the same Bajpai had sent a letter to the AG stating that the tweets and publications scandalize the Supreme Court and prejudices the minds of millions of people.

The Attorney General for India, KK Venugopal has granted the petitioner his consent for initiation of contempt proceedings against comedian Kunal Kamra, over his tweets about the Supreme Court in the wake of its order granting interim bail to Arnab Goswami.

The petitioner has submitted that he, after receiving consent from Ld. The Attorney General of India wrote to the contemnor on his email address "manager@kunalkamra.in" with bona fide motives informing him of the letter of consent to initiate criminal contempt of court and humbly requesting the contemnor to delete all his tweets dated 11.11.2020 as mentioned in the petitioner's address to the Ld. Attorney General for India and further requested him to tender an unconditional apology on all his social media handles for his malicious, scandalous, and contemptuous deeds within 6 hours of the email by the petitioner, failing which shall compel the petitioner to initiate criminal contempt of court proceedings against the contemnor.

"That the contemnor on 13.12.2020, has made it clear that he would not retract his tweets dated 11.11.2020 and further went on to say that the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in the Court premises be replaced with that of Sr. Advocate Mr. Harish Salve and the portrait of Late Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru be replaced with that of Sr. Advocate Mr. Mahesh Jethmalani".

The petitioner alleged that  it is evident from the above posts and tweets that the contemnor was knowingly insulting the institution, each post/tweet has been made with the intention to shake the trust of general public from the apex court.

"The contemnor stands in scarce regard of law, his intention to demean, scandalize and assault the judicial institution is evident from the series of his conduct. The contemnor even after several cautions proceeded further with a series of contemptuous tweets and posts and has wilfully ignored the request of the petitioner to delete the contemptuous content and tender an unconditional apology".

The petitioner has also submitted that the tweets  and publication thereof scandalises the Supreme Court, prejudices and interferes with the due course of judicial proceedings and administration of justice. Such comments scandalizing and lowering the authority of the Court in relation to the judicial matters but also have the effect of substantial interference with obstructing the administration of justice. Unfounded and unwarranted aspersions have the tendency to undermine the authority of the Court and would create distrust in the mind of the public and on the capacity to impart fearless justice.