Attorney General R Venkataramani has authorized criminal contempt proceedings against journalist Nikhil Wagle and MP Sanjay Raut. The Supreme Court Bar Association filed the petition, alleging that the two made scandalous remarks targeting the Chief Justice of India and the judiciary. The Attorney General noted that the statements lacked evidentiary support, marking a significant legal development regarding public criticism of the court.
Attorney General R Venkataramani has granted official consent to initiate criminal contempt proceedings against journalist Nikhil Wagle and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut. This decision follows a petition submitted by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) under Section 15(1)(b) of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971. The association argues that the public comments made by both individuals were aimed at undermining the authority of the judiciary and the Chief Justice of India.
The case centers on different sets of public remarks. Regarding journalist Nikhil Wagle, the petition cites an abusive post shared on social media about the Chief Justice. While Wagle has since deleted the post and offered an unconditional apology, the SCBA is proceeding with its legal plea. Separately, the complaint against Sanjay Raut involves allegations that judges had participated in political events and dinners hosted by the Bharatiya Janata Party and various state chief ministers. The Attorney General, in his assessment, noted that these claims lacked credible evidence and that the MP had failed to verify the information before making such public statements.
The SCBA petition also highlights the issue of digital misinformation. It references past instances of false claims circulating online, including the circulation of misleading photographs of judges, which were incorrectly attributed to private events. Investigations by the Delhi High Court had previously traced these images to a public program at the Thyagaraj Stadium in New Delhi. To address these concerns, the SCBA has requested that the Supreme Court issue formal directives to digital platforms such as X Corp, Meta, and Google. The objective is to preserve the metadata and digital records associated with the contentious posts to ensure they are available for the legal process.
Beyond the preservation of digital records, the association has asked the court to restrain both individuals from repeating similar allegations while the legal matter remains active. The SCBA maintains that while it respects the right to fair and balanced criticism of the judicial system, the conduct in these specific instances crossed into actions that threaten institutional authority. This legal development highlights the ongoing focus on the balance between free speech and the maintenance of judicial decorum in the digital age. The next steps will depend on the Supreme Court's assessment of the petition.