A lawyer has moved the Supreme Court for live-streaming of the proceedings in the suo motu contempt case against Advocate Prashant Bhushan.
Advocate Amritpal Singh Khalsa has argued that this contempt case will have a substantial effect as far as the Bar and the Bench are concerned, not only in India, but across the world.
Khalsa has also contended that the print and digital media has been glorifying Bhushan in their reporting and that a live-telecast and video recording of the proceedings is, therefore, required.
"The applicant submits that the instant contempt case is one of the most sensational case ever since the inception of the Supreme Court, the projection of Prashant Bhushans case at the hands of print and digital media is nothing but glorifying him and his acts which tend to lower the respect and repute of the institution".
He alleges that there is a "lobby", of which Bhushan is "one of the founding members", which aims to destabilise the institution of the Supreme Court and "criticise to the lowest possible level" when favourable orders are not obtained from the Court. Khalsa adds that this lobby has targeted Chief Justices in the past.
He goes on to argue that this lobby "plays pivotal role in erosion of public faith in this Institution, there has no been action, whatsoever, on such an unscrupulous lobby, their actions have been unchecked."
In this backdrop, Khalsa highlights that the Supreme Court has already ruled that the live-streaming of appropriate cases is permissible in Swapnil Tripathi v. Supreme Court of India.
Placing reliance on this ruling, he has argued for the live telecast of the Bhushan contempt hearing, stating that,
"The said judgment is historic and once implemented is certain to bring about revolutionary changes inasmuch as video-recording of proceedings of Courts of the instant contempt case would bring to an end the perception (generated by the lobby) in the mind of public at large that this court has been unfair to contemnor Prashant Bhushan, it would also set a deterrent message to public at large, that the criticism which tend to shake to public faith in the institution would be dealt with iron fist."
Khalsa has also undertaken to pay the cost incurred in live telecast and video recording of the Bhushan hearing, which is scheduled for August 25.