Bhushan case: Spotlight on AG’S role after hearing

NEW DELHI: Senior advocates on Thursday expressed concern over Attorney General (AG) KK Venugopal not being heard in detail during the Prashant Bhushan contempt-of-court hearings in the Supreme Court.

Venugopal, 89 — whose consent was not obtained before the matter was taken up by the Supreme Court and who was not heard by the court during the contempt hearings — appeared in his personal capacity before the bench on Thursday and argued the judges shouldn’t impose any punishment on Bhushan.

Bhushan was found guilty of contempt of court for two tweets on August 14. “The Attorney General (AG) is the pre-eminent member of the Bar and generations of judges have known and understood the high constitutional authority of that office. The manner in which he was ignored for four-and-a-half hours during the conviction hearing and then interrupted repeatedly today by the presiding judge is a slight against the entire Bar. Under the Constitution, the AG doesn’t need anybody’s permission to appear -- the fact that the present incumbent is a gentleman should not be taken as a sign of weakness,’’ said senior advocate Gopal Shankarnarayanan,

who was following the proceedings.

Other lawyers said they were glad that Venugopal spoke up on the matter and tried to argue against his sentencing. “I am relieved the AG has appeared before the court now, and has taken a stand which befits his position,’’ said senior advocate Anjana Prakash. Though Venugopal was present in the court in the first hearing into the matter on August 5, he was not asked to speak.