Prashant Bhushan was held guilty of criminal contempt on August 14 by a 3-judge bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra for his 2 “derogatory” tweets
New Delhi| Several judges, former bureaucrats, lawyers, Journalist and members of the civil society have come forward in support of Prashant Bhushan, activist-lawyer held guilty of contempt of court by the Supreme Court. In the letter addressed to the Supreme Court, the signatories have suggested that the court’s decision should not be implemented until larger bench reviews it in the regular court hearings that are expected to begin after the Coronavirus epidemic lockdown. They have also criticized the SC ruling against Bhushan claiming that raising concern on the functioning of the judiciary is a fundamental right of every citizen.
Who Are The Signatories?
The signatories include several eminent personalities and legal luminaries. It includes former Supreme Court judges Ruma Pal, B Sudershan Reddy, Madan B Lokur, human rights activist Harsh Mander and historian Romila Thapar. Some media reports that more than 3000 such civil society members have signed the letter. The names of Janak Dwarkadhish, Navroz H Siravai, Dairas J Khambata, Jayant Bhushan, Arvind P Datar, Huffeza Ahmadi, CU Singh, Shyam Dewan, Sanjay Hegde, Mihir Desai and Maneka Guruswamy have also come out among the lawyers who supported Prashant Bhushan.
Action Against Prashant Bhushan Disproportionate
The signatories in the letter said that the intention of that expression was to urge the apex court to restart physical hearings, particularly of matters of national importance. “The intention was also to engage with the concerns articulated by many regarding the reluctance of the judiciary to play its constitutionally mandated role as a check on governmental excesses and violations of fundamental rights by the state,” they added.
The letter further read, “If a tweet by an individual is perceived by the judiciary as destroying public confidence in the institution, it speaks poorly of the judiciary’s confidence in itself.” The judges and lawyers supporting Prashant said in their suggestion, “We hope that the Supreme Court will hear all the voices raised in the last 72 hours and take corrective steps to prevent justice from being overturned so that the general public can again build respect and trust for the court. “
Bhushan Was Held guilty In Contempt of Court
Prashant Bhushan was convicted of criminal contempt on August 14 by a 3-judge bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra for his 2 “derogatory” tweets on the judiciary. The quantum of punishment is to be debated in the case on 20 August. He can be sentenced to 6 months imprisonment or a fine of 2000 rupees or both.
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