After AG, SG says no to contempt case against Swara

NEW DELHI: Solicitor general Tushar Mehta on Wednesday declined permission for initiation of criminal contempt of court proceedings against Bollywood actor Swara Bhasker for her statements criticising the Supreme Court and its 2019 judgment in the Ayodhya dispute.

Mehta said in his letter to the petitioner, Usha Shetty from Karnataka, that the Attorney General KK Venugopal had earlier rejected a similar request and hence the request made to the SG is misconceived.

“The AG, on August 21, has declined to provide his consent for the reasons stated in the reply of the AG. Considering the fact that the AG has already declined to grant his consent, the present request made to me is misconceived,” Mehta said in his letter.

Bhasker had, on February 1, said that the Supreme Court acknowledged the illegality of demolition of Babri Masjid in its November 2019 judgment and yet rewarded the perpetrators who brought down the mosque by handing over the land to them.

The plea, filed on August 17, was initially placed before AG for his consent to list the matter before the court.

As per Section 15 of Contempt of Courts Act and Rule 3 of Rules to Regulate Proceedings for Contempt of Supreme Court, consent of AG or SG is required before the SC can hear a contempt petition filed by a private individual. In its November 9 judgment in the Ayodhya dispute, the SC awarded the 2.77 acre disputed site to Ram Lalla Virajman, the child deity. The bench had also ordered that 5 acres of land at an alternative site be granted for construction of a new mosque. HTC