New Delhi, Nov. 6 -- The Supreme Court has issued contempt notices to office-bearers of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) over a social media post directed at Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, warning that attempts to interfere with judicial authority would invite firm action.
A bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and Vipul M Pancholi said on Friday that the Constitution stood above individuals and political organisations, while judicial independence remained a constitutional guarantee rather than a matter of political convenience.
The court observed that freedom of expression could not be used to intimidate the judiciary or obstruct the administration of justice. It added that criticism of judgments was permissible, but any effort to diminish the court's authority must be dealt with firmly.
The bench appointed senior advocates Arvind Datar and Siddharth Agarwal as amicus curiae to advise whether the matter attracted criminal or civil contempt. It also sought assistance from Attorney General R Venkataramani.
Appearing for the KPCC, its lawyer submitted that the post had been published without the office-bearers' approval and subsequently deleted. The party had also tendered an unconditional apology. Justice Kumar said the court would consider whether the apology was sincere.
The controversy followed a post published on the Congress unit's official X account on October 12, criticising the CJI over remarks made during a hearing concerning allegations of excesses by Delhi Police during Cockroach Janta Party protests.
The post triggered criticism, prompting the Supreme Court Bar Association and the Supreme Court Advocates on Record Association to oppose calls for the CJI's resignation.
KPCC president Sunny Joseph had said the message was published without the leadership's knowledge or consent. The party subsequently removed the person responsible.
A complaint filed by advocate Vineet Jindal on October 13 was registered as a writ petition on October 30. It also sought an inquiry into a political demonstration held on Supreme Court premises on October 12.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.