The petitioner seeks to initiate criminal contempt proceedings against Swara Bhasker for her statements pertaining to Supreme Court at an event held by Mumbai Collective in February this year.
A petition has been moved before the Supreme Court seeking the initiation of criminal contempt of court proceedings against actress Swara Bhasker for her comments at a panel discussion held in February.
Petitioner Usha Shetty has also sought the consent of Attorney General for India KK Venugopal to allow the contempt proceedings against the actress.
The Attorney General's consent has been sought in line with the requirement under Section 15 of the Contempt of Courts Act read with Rule (3) of Contempt Proceedings of the Supreme Court. The petitioner claims that Swara Bhasker made "derogatory and scandalous" statements against the Supreme Court earlier this year.
The statements in question were allegedly made by Bhasker at an event hosted by "Mumbai Collective". They pertained to the Supreme Court's judgment in the Ayodhya Land dispute case .
At this event, the petition states that Bhasker allegedly said,
"We are now in a situation where are courts are not sure whether they believe in the constitution or not...What then do we do and it seems to me that as everyone has said that the path is clear to us and it has been shown to us by you all whoever of you all have been part of the protest by the students by the women and by the citizen protestors it is to resist..."
As claimed in the petition, she went on to say,
"We are living ina country where the Supreme Court of our country states in a judgment that the demolition of Babri Masjid was unlawful and in the same judgment rewards the same people who brought down the mosque..."
Reproducing these statements in the petition, Shetty says that Bhasker was "seemingly provoking" the gathering to resist against the judicial institution.
Terming the same as as a "cheap stunt of publicity", petitioner says that the comments were made by Bhasker in a "deliberate attempt to turn the masses to resist and revolt against the Apex Court of India."
It is further stated that these comments intend to incite a lack of confidence in the judiciary among the people, and question the integrity of the Court. Thus, they amount to criminal contempt of court, falling under the umbrella of "scandalizing the court", the plea states.
The petition is filed through Advocates Anuj Saxena, Prakash Sharma, and Mahek Maheshwari.
