New Delhi: Supreme Court on Monday decided to study whether Prashant Bhushan’s 2009 allegation that “half of the former CJIs were corrupt” would amount to contempt of court.
A bench of Justices Arun Mishra, B R Gavai, and Krishna Murari, in a single-sentence order, said, “Before reaching any finding whether the statement made as to ‘corruption’ would per se amount to contempt of court, the matter is required to be heard.”
The bench said that the matter would be heard next on Aug 17. Moreover, the apex court declined to hear the explanation of Bhushan.
Appearing on behalf of Bhushan, senior lawyer and his father Shanti Bhushan requested the court to list the hearing after the court resume physical hearing. But the court declined the request.
The contempt case involves statements by Prashant Bhushan made during an interview with Tehelka magazine in 2009, in which he said half the 16 Chief Justices of India were corrupt.
While appearing in the court, he said, “The word corruption was used in a wide sense, meaning lack of propriety. I did not mean only financial corruption or deriving any pecuniary advantage. If what I have said caused hurt to any of them or to their families in any way, I regret the same”
Senior journalist Tarun Tejpal, accused of the contempt, apologized for publishing the statement in his magazine.